



9%. HEART, 












qAs Tewealed in ihe 

Iniiinu^ LeMers of 



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S^ GEORGE EPICKIB 








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SOLDIER 



SOLDIER 




c^ revealed in me 
LttintaieLefters of* 

9^' GEORGE RHCKETT e&Jl 



Copyright IQ13 by Stth Moyle (Inc.) 
Copyright IQI2 by the Pictorial Review Company 
Copyright igo8 by The S. S. McClure Company 

Published by SETH MOYLE {incorporated) 
NEW YORK 



©CI.A3 4 6 268 



FORE WORD 



P*OR half a century these letters have lain 
•*• locked away from the world, the lines 
fading upon the yellowed pages, their every 
•word enshrined in the heart of the noble 
woman to whom they were written. To her 
they came filled with the thunder of guns, 
the lightning of unsheathed swords, the tu- 
multuous rage in the heart of the storm; but 
through them all the radiance of a pure de- 
votion outshone the battle flash and the lyric 
of a great love rose above the cannon's roar. 
To their possessor, naturally, these letters 
are sacred and they are given to the world 
with great reluctance. It is only the thought 
of the inspiration that they can bring to 
lives less glorious than that of him who 
penned them, of the courage they can instill 
into hearts less brave, that has led their 
owner to share them with the world. 

Through the medium of this volume, 
which is hereby dedicated to the Great Sol- 
dier and True Man who supplied its con- 
tents, these letters are given, out of the 
hands of one who has cherished them ten- 
derly for many years, into the keeping of all 
those who honor courage, loyalty and the 
love of man for woman. 



CONTENTS 

PART ONE 

PAGE 

I. In which the General Tells Why He 

Sided with the South .... 33 
II. Written 'After a Light Skirmish with 

the Enemy 38 

III. Concerning Legitimate Warfare, Seces- 

sion and the Mishaps of an Old 
Major of Artillery 41 

IV. In Which Are Given Certain Details 

of the Battle of Seven Pines . . 46 
^V. Containing a Presentiment of Danger, 
the Night Before He Was Wounded 

at Gaines' Mill 50 

VI. At His Old Home Recovering from 

His Wound 52 

VII. Mostly Concerning Bob, His Body- 
Servant 55 

VIII. Written Upon His Return to His Old 

Command 58 

IX. On the Occasion of His Promotion to 
the Rank of Major-General — Tell- 
ing of Jackson and Garnett . . 61 
X. From the Field of Fredericksburg . 64 

PART TWO 

XI. From His Old Home on the Suffolk 

Expedition 69 

XII. In Which He Urges His Betrothed 

to Marry Him at Once ... 73 



CONTENTS 

Continued 

PAGE 

XIII. Warning Her to Leave the Danger 

Zone 77 

XIV. When Lee Crossed the Potomac . . 79 
XV. On the Way Through Pennsylvania 81 

XVI. Lines Penned on the Road to Gettys- 
burg 84 

XVII. During a Halt in the Long March . 88 
XVIII. While He Awaited the Order to 

Charge at Gettysburg . . . .91 
XIX. Relating Certain Incidents of the 

Great Battle 97 

XX. Written in Sorrow and Defeat, after 

the Struggle lOi 

XXI. Containing Further Details of the 

Battle 104 

XXII. On the Way to Richmond, Guarding 

Prisoners . 109 

PART THREE 

XXIII. In Which the General Issues an Order 117 

XXIV. Written After Their Marriage, on an 

Expedition Into North Carolina . 120 

XXV. From the Lines Near Petersburg, Va. 123 

XXVI. In the Wilderness Before Cold Harbor 127 

XXVII. Recalling a Visit from" Old Jack" . 130 

XXVIII. After General Lee Had Congratulated 

His Division for Gallantry . . .134 
XXIX. When Butler Burned the General's 

Old Home 138 



CONTENTS 

Continued 

PAGE 

PART FOUR 
XXX. Upon Hearing of the Birth of the 

''Little General" 147 

XXXI. A Second Letter Written on His Sons 

Birthday . 150 

XXXII. On the Occasion of His First Visit to 

His Boy 151 

XXXIII. Upon Returning from a Ride with 

" Marse Robert" 153 

XXXIV. Concerning the Gossip of His Servant, 

George . 155 

XXXV. After an Evening Spent at the " White 

House" of the Confederacy . . 162 
XXXVI. In the Dark Days Before the End . 167 
XXXVII. Written in Defeat, After the Battle 

of Five Forks 169 

XXXVIII. A Few Hours Before Lee's Surrender 

at Appomattox -. 176 

PART FIVE 
XXXIX. In which the General Tells of a 
Trip to Washington and a Visit 
with his old Friend, Grant . . .183 
XL. From New York, after refusing the 

Command of the Egyptian Army . 188 
XLI. A Letter from Turkey Island, during 

a brief absence of his Wife . . .191 
XLII. Concerning a Slight Illness and the 

Business Troubles of a Soldier . 197 



N 



XLIII. 



XLIV. 



T E 

Continued 



N 



PAGE 



On the Occasion of the Memorial 
Services in Honor of those who died 
at Gettysburg 203 

Written while away from Home, after 
the death of his Youngest Boy . . 208 



For the Introduction to this book, 
credit is due to McClure's Magazine, 
in which the article first appeared. 



ILLUSTRATIONS 

By FRANKLIN BOOTH 

Do you remember, my Sally, ho'w many times ive said Good- 
bye that eveningf 

"The enemy is there, General, and I am going to strike him," 
said Marse Robert in his firm, quiet voice. 

T<wo lines of their infantry were driven back; two lines of 
guns were taken — and no support came. 

You must have been up all night, my prettice, to have made 
up and sent out such a basket of goodies. My, I tell you, it 
all tasted good. 



1/ 




x^^';i'. 




Do you remember, my Sally, 
lioiv many times ive said good- 
bye that e'vening? — Page 80. 



SOLDIER 

An Introductory Chapter 

from the One to Whom these Letters 

were Written 

EARLY in life's morning I knew and 
loved him, and from my first meeting 
with him to the end, I always called him 
"Soldier"— "My Soldier." I was a wee bit 
of a girl at that first meeting. I had been 
visiting my grandmother, when whooping- 
cough broke out in the neighborhood, and she 
took me off to Old Point Comfort to visit her 
friend, Mrs. Boykin, the sister of John Y. 
Mason. I could dance and sing and play 
games and was made much of by the other 
children and their parents there, till I sud- 
denly developed the cough, then I was 
shunned and isolated. 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

I could not understand the change. I 
would press my face against the ball-room 
window-panes and watch the merry-making 
inside and my little heart would almost break. 
One morning, while playing alone on the 
beach, I saw an officer lying on the sand read- 
ing, under the shelter of an umbrella. I had 
noticed him several times, always apart from 
the others, and very sad. I could imagine but 
one reason for his desolation and in pity for 
him, I crept under his umbrella to ask him 
if he, too, had the whooping-cough. He 
smiled and answered no; but as I still per- 
sisted he drew me to him, telling me that he 
had lost someone who was dear to him and 
he was very lonely. 

And straightway, without so much as a by- 
your-leave, I promised to take the place of his 
dear one and to comfort him in his loss. 
Child as I was, I believe I lost my heart to 
him on the spot. At all events, I crept from 
under the umbrella pledged to Lieutenant 
George E. Pickett, U. S. A., for life and death, 
and I still hold most sacred a little ring and 
locket that he gave me on that day. 

It is small wonder that this first picture of 



THE HEART OF A' SOLDIER 

him is among the most vivid still ; the memory 
of him as he lay stretched in the shade of 
the umbrella, not tall, and rather slender, but 
very graceful, and perfect in manly beauty. 
With childish appreciation, I particularly no- 
ticed his very small hands and feet. He had 
beautiful gray eyes that looked at me through 
sunny lights — eyes that smiled with his lips. 
His mustache was gallantly curled. His hair 
was exactly the color of mine, dark brown, 
and long and wavy, in the fashion of the time. 
The neatness of his dress attracted even a 
child's admiration. His shirt-front of the 
finest white linen, was in soft puffs and ruf- 
fles, and the sleeves were edged with hem- 
stitched thread cambric ruffles. He would 
never, to the end of his life, wear the stiff linen 
collars and cuffs and stocks which came into 
fashion among men. While he was at West 
Point he paid heavily in demerits for ob- 
stinacy in refusing to wear the regulation 
stock. Only when the demerits reached the 
danger-point would he temporarily give up 
his soft necktie. 

It was under that umbrella, in the days that 
followed, that I learned, while he guided my 
3 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

hand, to make my first letters and spell my 
first words. They were *'Sally" and "Sol- 
dier." I remember, too, the songs he used to 
sing me in the clear, rich voice of which his 
soldiers were so fond, frequently accompany- 
ing himself on the guitar. He kept a diary 
of those days and after the war it was returned 
to him from San Juan by the British officer 
who occupied the island conjointly with him 
before the opening of the war. I have it now 
in my possession. 

Three years after our first meeting I saw 
my Soldier again. He had just received his 
commission as captain, and was recruiting his 
company at Fortress Monroe, before sailing 
for San Juan. The first real sorrow of my 
life was when I watched the St. Louis go out 
to sea with my Soldier on board, bound 
around the Horn to Puget Sound, where he 
was stationed at Fort Bellingham, which I 
thought must be farther than the end of the 
world. Forty thousand Indians had risen 
against the settlers. For two years he was in 
the thick of it, and greatly distinguished him- 
self, but he did even better after the Indians 
were suppressed, for he made them his friends, 

4 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

learned their languages, built school-houses 
for them and taught them, and they called 
him Nesika Tyee — Our Chief. One old In- 
dian chief insisted upon making him a pres- 
ent of one of his children. He translated the 
Lord's Prayer and some of our hymns and pa- 
triotic songs into their jargon and taught the 
Indians to sing them. He taught me some of 
them afterward. Years later, one night after 
the Civil War, while we were exiles in Mont- 
real, General Pickett and I were singing a 
hymn in Chinook to put our baby to sleep, 
when a voice in the next room joined us. At 
the close of the hymn a stranger came and 
spoke to my Soldier in Chinook. When he 
left, he invited us to the theater where he was 
playing. He was William Florence, and he 
gave me my first taste of the pleasures of the 
drama. 

Following the Indian war, the quarrel with 
the British over the ownership of San Juan 
Island reached a white heat, and on the night 
of July 26, 1859, my Soldier, with sixty-eight 
men, was sent from the mainland to take pos- 
session. They were none too soon, for when 
5 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER. 

morning dawned there were five British war- 
ships off the coast, with nineteen hundred and 
forty men ready to land. They proposed 
joint occupation, but Captain Pickett replied: 
**I cannot allow joint occupation until so 
ordered by my commanding general." 

The English captain said: "I have a 
thousand men ready to land to-night." 

Captain Pickett replied: "Captain, if you 
undertake it, I will fight you as long as I have 
a man." 

''I shall land at once," said the British ofii- 
cer. 

"If you will give me forty-eight hours, till 
I hear from my commanding officer, my or- 
ders may be countermanded. If you don't 
you must be responsible for the bloodshed that 
will follow." 

^'Not one minute," was the English cap- 
tain's reply. 

My Soldier gave orders for the drawing up 
of his men in lines on the hill facing the beach 
where the English must land. 

6 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

''We will make a Bunker Hill of it, and 
don't be afraid of their big guns," he said. 

In his official report General Harney said: 
"So satisfied were the British officers that Cap- 
tain Pickett would carry out this course, that 
they hesitated." 

The United States retained the Island and 
my Soldier remained in command until the 
outbreak of the Civil War. But when Vir- 
ginia passed the Ordinance of Secession he re- 
signed his commission and recognizing the 
claims of his native state, joined his fortunes 
with those of the Southland, although, like 
many others who fought as bravely against the 
national government as in happier times they 
had fought for it, he loved the Union and 
every star in that flag which he had so often 
borne to victory. 

My Soldier reached Richmond September 
13, 1861, and at once enlisted as a private. 
The next day he was given a commission as 
captain, a short time later promoted to a col- 
onelcy, and early in 1862 received his com- 
mission as brigadier-general. In June, while 
7 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

leading his brigade in a charge at Gaines's 
Mill, he was severely wounded in the shoul- 
der, but refused to leave the field, ordering 
Dr. Chancellor to extract the bullet on the 
field. The surgeon remonstrated, but he said : 
''My men need me here, Doctor. Fix me 
now." 

He was finally carried off, but was back 
with his brigade two months before he was 
able to draw a sleeve over the wounded arm. 

Time has not lessened the fame of Pickett's 
Charge at Gettysburg, and it never will ; for 
the changes that have taken place in the sci- 
ence of war leave no possibility that future 
history will produce its counterpart. Truly, 
"the first day of the terrible three at Gettys- 
burg was an accident, the second a blunder" 
and the third the greatest tragedy that has 
ever been played upon the stage of war. 
With its imperishable glory — overshadowing 
all other events in martial history, notwith- 
standing its appalling disaster — is linked for- 
ever the name of my Soldier. 



8 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

Down the slope into the smoke-filled valley 
the devoted men followed him as he rode in 
advance upon his black war-horse. Their 
ranks were thinned and torn and shattered by 
the tempest of lead which from every side 
was turned on them. Smoke and flame sur- 
rounded them. But from the rear the men 
sprang to fill the gaps in front as they pressed 
after their leader through the tempest of iron. 
Five thousand Virginians followed him at 
the start; but when the Southern flag floated 
on the ridge, in less than half an hour, not two 
thousand were left to rally beneath it, and 
those for only one glorious, victory-intoxi- 
cated moment. They were not strong enough 
to hold the position they had so dearly won; 
and, broken-hearted, even at the very moment 
of his immortal triumph, my Soldier led his 
remaining men down the slope again. He 
dismounted and walked beside the stretcher 
upon which General Kemper, one of his offi- 
cers, was being carried, fanning him and 
speaking cheerfully to comfort him in his suf- 
fering. When he reached Seminary Ridge 
again and reported to General Lee, his face 
9 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

was wet with tears as he pointed to the crimson 
valley and said: 

"My noble division lies there!" 

"General Pickett," said the commander, 
"you and your men have covered yourselves 
with glory." 

"Not all the glory in the world, General 
Lee," my Soldier replied, "could atone for the 
widows and orphans this day has made." 

Soon after the great battle my Soldier con- 
fided to his corps commander his intention of 
marrying, and asked for a furlough. Gen- 
eral Longstreet replied that they were not 
granting furloughs then, but added, with the 
twinkle in his eye which those who knew him 
so well will remember: "I might detail you 
for special duty and you could, of course, stop 
off and get married if you wanted to." 

In old St. Paul's Church in Petersburg, 
September 15, 1863, we were married, while 
the bells rang out the chimes that still make 
music from that old belfry and are yet known 

10 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

as "Pickett's Chimes." In the throng which 
crowded the church and extended to the side- 
walk were hundreds whose mourning garb at- 
tested to the costly sacrifice which Petersburg 
had given to the South. Many hands were 
reached out to greet my Soldier, and from the 
lips of many a black-robed mother came the 
words: "My son was with you at Gettysburg 
— God bless 5^ou!" A salute of a hundred 
guns announced the marriage; cheers followed 
us, and chimes and bands and bugles played 
as we left for our wedding reception in Rich- 
mond. 

The food supply of the South was reduced 
to narrow limits then. Salt was reclaimed 
from the earth under smoke-houses. Guests 
at distinguished functions were regaled with 
ice-cream made of frozen buttermilk sweet- 
ened with sorghum. But friends of the gen- 
eral had almost worked miracles to prepare 
a wedding supper. It was sora season, and 
those little birds had been killed at night with 
paddles — the South being not much richer in 
ammunition than in edibles — and contributed 
so lavishly to our banquet that it was always 
ji 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

afterward known as "the wedding sora sup- 
per." Our wedding present from Mrs. Lee 
was a fruit-cake, and Bishop Dudley's mother 
sent a black cake she had been saving for her 
golden wedding. Little bags of salt and 
sugar were sent as presents. The army was 
in camp near by, and all the men at the re- 
ception, except President Davis, his cabinet, 
and a few clergymen, came in full uniform, 
officers and privates as well. We returned 
without delay to Petersburg, that being my 
Soldier's headquarters. 

In early May, General Butler, with thirty 
thousand men, came down upon Petersburg, 
defended by only six hundred. They held 
the place till half-starved and ragged rein- 
forcements were hurried in from every direc- 
tion. We women carried the despatches, and 
cooked the food and took it to the men at 
the guns. The roar of the cannon and the 
shriek of shot and shell filled our ears day and 
night. At train-time we would go to the sta- 
tion and send up cheer after cheer to welcome 
the train from its short trip out into the coun- 
try, hoping to blind the Yankees to the fact 

12 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

that it brought in only the half-starved railroad 
men. During the entire week, until he had 
Butler safely ^'bottled up at Petersburg," my 
Soldier did not sleep, and the only times I saw 
him were when I carried his bread and soup 
and coffee out to him. It was just as it had 
been when he started for Cemetery Hill at 
Gettysburg. He would never stop till he had 
accomplished his work. After Pickett's Di- 
vision had retaken Bermuda Hundred the fol- 
lowing summer. General Anderson, command- 
ing Longstreet's Corps, wrote to General Lee : 
'We tried very hard to stop Pickett and his 
men from capturing the breastworks of the 
enemy, but we could not do it." 

The devotion of General Pickett's men to 
him has often been recounted as something 
phenomenal. It was equaled only by his de- 
votion to them. Very near the end of the war, 
when the army had subsisted on nothing but 
corn for many days, as my Soldier was riding 
toward Sailor's Creek, a woman ran out of 
a house and handed him something to eat. 
He carried it in his hand as he rode on. Pres- 
ently he came upon a soldier lying behind a 
13 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

log, and spoke to him. The man looked up, 
revealing a boyish face, scarcely more than a 
child's — thin and pale. 

"What's the matter?" asked my Soldier. 

"I'm starving, General," the boy replied. 
"I couldn't help it. I couldn't keep up, so I 
just lay down here to die." 

"Take this," handing the boy his luncheon; 
"and when you have eaten and rested, go on 
back home. It would only waste another life 
for you to go on." 

The boy took the food eagerly, but replied: 
"No, Marse George. If I get strength 

enough to go at all, I'll follow you to the last." 
He did, for he was killed a few days later 

at Sailor's Creek. 

I was in Richmond when my Soldier fought 
the awful battle of Five Forks, Richmond 
surrendered, and the surging sea of fire swept 
the city. News of the fate of Five Forks had 
reached us, and the city was full of rumors 
that General Pickett was killed. I did not 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

believe them. I knew he would come back, 
he had told me so. But they were very anx- 
ious hours. The day after the fire, there was 
a sharp rap at the door. The servants had 
all run away. The city was full of northern 
troops, and my environment had not taught 
me to love them. The fate of other cities had 
awakened my fears for Richmond. With my 
baby on my arm, I answered the knock, opened 
the door and looked up at a tall, gaunt, sad- 
faced man in ill-fitting clothes, who, with the 
accent of the North, asked: 

*Ts this George Pickett's place?" 

"Yes, sir," I answered, "but he is not here." 

"I know that, ma'am," he replied, "but I 
just wanted to see the place. I am Abraham 
Lincoln." 

"The President!" I gasped. 

The stranger shook his head and said : 

"No, ma'am ; no, ma'am ; just Abraham Lin- 
coln; George's old friend." 
15 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

"I am George Pickett's wife and this is his 
baby," was all I could say. I had never seen 
Mr. Lincoln but remembered the intense love 
and reverence with which my Soldier always 
spoke of him. 

My baby pushed away from me and reached 
out his hands to Mr. Lincoln, who took him 
in his arms. As he did so an expression 
of rapt, almost divine, tenderness and love 
lighted up the sad face. It was a look that 
I have never seen on any other face. My 
baby opened his mouth wide and insisted upon 
giving his father's friend a dewy infantile kiss. 
As Mr. Lincoln gave the little one back to me, 
shaking his finger at him playfully, he said: 

"Tell your father, the rascal, that I forgive 
him for the sake of that kiss and those bright 
eyes." 

He turned and went down the steps, talk- 
ing to himself, and passed out of my sight for- 
ever, but in my memory those intensely hu- 
man eyes, that strong, sad face, have a per- 
petual abiding place — that face which puz- 

i6 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

zled all artists but revealed itself to the in- 
tuitions of a little child, causing it to hold out 
its hands to be taken and its lips to be kissed. 

It was through Mr. Lincoln that my Sol- 
dier, as a lad of seventeen, received his ap- 
pointment to West Point. Mr. Lincoln was 
at that time associated in law practice with 
George Pickett's uncle, Mr. Andrew John- 
ston, a distinguished lawyer and scholar, who 
was very anxious that his nephew should fol- 
low in his footsteps and study for the law — 
an ambition which, it is needless to say, my 
Soldier did not share. He confided his per- 
plexities to Mr. Lincoln, who was very fond 
of the boy; and the great statesman went at 
once to work to secure his appointment. 

After Richmond's fall I anxiously awaited 
my Soldier's return, and at last one morning 
I caught the familiar clatter of the hoofs of 
his little thoroughbred chestnut which he al- 
ways rode when he came home, and the sound 
of his voice saying: "Whoa, Lucy, whoa, lit- 
tle girl." 



n 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

He gave his staff a farewell breakfast at our 
home. They did not once refer to the past, 
but each wore a blue strip tied like a sash 
around his waist. It was the old headquar- 
ter's flag, which they had saved from the sur- 
render and torn into strips, that each might 
keep one in sad memory. After breakfast he 
went to the door, and from a white rose-bush 
which his mother had planted cut a bud for 
each. He put one in my hair and pinned 
one to the coat of each of his officers. Then 
for the first time the tears came, and the men 
who had been closer than brothers for four 
fearful years, clasped hands in silence and 
parted. 

Ever since the Mexican War General Grant 
had been a dear friend of my Soldier. At 
the time our first baby was born the two 
armies were encamped facing each other and 
they often swapped coffee and tobacco under 
flags of truce. On the occasion of my son's 
birth bonfires were lighted in celebration all 
along Pickett's line. Grant saw them and 
sent scouts to learn the cause. When they re- 
ported, he said to General Ingalls: 

i8 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

"Haven't we some kindling on this side of 
the line? Why don't we strike a light for the 
young Pickett?" 

In a little while bonfires were flaming from 
the Federal line. A few days later there was 
taken through the lines a baby's silver service, 
engraved: "To George E. Pickett, Jr., from 
his father's friends, U. S. Grant, Rufus In- 
galls, George Suckley." 

It was through their courtesy, at the close 
of the war, that we were taken from Rich- 
mond down the James to my father's old 
home at Chuckatuck. But we were not al- 
lowed to remain long at peace. General In- 
galls warned my Soldier that General Butler 
was making speeches against him in Congress, 
and urged that he would be safer on foreign 
ground. Though he did not believe it, he 
reluctantly consented to go. He mounted 
Lucy and rode to the station. It was a pa- 
thetic incident that, just as the train moved 
out, the chestnut thoroughbred lay down and 
died. 



19 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

We had been in Canada almost a year when 
General Grant, learning of our exile, wrote 
to us to return, saying that his cartel with 
General Lee should be kept, if it required an- 
other war to make it good. We went back 
to our dear old place, Turkey Island, on the 
James River, and built a little cottage in the 
place of the magnificent mansion which had 
been sacked and burned by order of General 
Butler. I once asked my Soldier why it was 
called Turkey Island. He replied that there 
were two good reasons; one was that it was 
not an island, the other that there were never 
any turkeys there. Everything, even the 
monument in the family cemetery, had been 
destroyed, but it was home. We loved it. 
My Soldier was always passionately fond of 
flowers, and our garden was an unfailing de- 
light to us both. 

He tried to turn his sword into a plow- 
share, but he was not expert with plowshares; 
and, worse, he constantly received applica- 
tions for employment from old comrades no 
more skilled than he. All were made wel- 
come, though they might not be able to dis- 

20 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

tinguish a rake from a rail fence or tell 
whether potatoes grew on trees or on trellised 
vines. They would rise at any hour that 
pleased them, linger over breakfast, and then 
go out to the fields. If the sun were too hot 
or the wind too cold, they would come back, 
to sit on the veranda or around the fire till 
dinner was ready. There were generals, col- 
onels, majors, captains, lieutenants, privates — 
all of one rank now; and he who desired a 
graphic history of the four years' war needed 
only to listen to the conversation of the agri- 
cultural army at Turkey Island. But the in- 
evitable came; resources were in time ex- 
hausted, and proprietor and assistants were 
forced to seek other fields. 

The Khedive of Egypt offered my Soldier 
the position of general in his army, but he de- 
clined. When General Grant became Presi- 
dent, he entertained us as his guests at the 
White House, and one of my keenest memo- 
ries is of President Grant and my Soldier as 
they stood facing each other in the White 
House office the last day of our visit. Grant's 
hand was on the shoulder of my Soldier, and 

21 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

they were looking earnestly into each other's 
eyes. Grant, ever faithful to his friends, had 
been urging my Soldier to accept the marshal- 
ship of the State of Virginia. Pickett, sorely 
as he needed the appointment, knew the de- 
mands upon Grant, and that his acceptance 
would create criticism and enemies for the 
President. He shook his head, saying: 

"You can't afford to do this for me, Sam, 
and I can't afford to take it." 

"I can afford to do anything I please," said 
Grant. My Soldier still shook his head, but 
the deep emotion of his heart shone in his tear- 
dimmed eyes, and in Grant's, as they silently 
grasped each other's hands and then walked 
away in opposite directions and looked out of 
separate windows, while I stole away. 

My Soldier was urged to accept the posi- 
tion with Generals Beauregard and Early 
in connection with the Louisiana Lottery. 
There was a large salary attached to it, but 
he said there was not money enough in the 
world to induce him to lend his name to it. 

22 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

When he was offered the governorship of 
Virginia, he said that he never again wanted 
to hold any office, and would be glad to see 
Kemper, his old brigadier, made governor. 
Kemper was the only one of Pickett's briga- 
diers who came out of the battle of Gettys- 
burg, and he was wounded and maimed for 
life. He was elected governor, and as he was 
a bachelor, my Soldier and I often assisted 
him at his receptions. 

For himself, my Soldier finally accepted 
the general agency for the South of the Wash- 
ington Life Insurance Company, and held the 
office till his death. The headquarters were 
at Richmond. I always went with him on 
his trips, and we spent our summers in the 
Virginia mountains. 

External conditions as well as natural in- 
stincts made my Soldier's life one of deep and 
tragic earnestness. He was always grave and 
dignified, but he was fond of jokes, especially 
if they were on me. Once, when he was leav- 
ing home for an absence of some length, he 
asked how much money I would need. I 
23 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

made a laborious calculation, and named a 
sum which he promptly doubled. He had 
not been gone long when I remembered an 
obligation, and telegraphed him that I had 
underestimated the amount. By the next 
mail came a check carefully made payable to 
"Mrs. Oliver Twist." I had to indorse it in 
that way, and he always carried the cheque in 
his pocket afterward for my benefit. I have 
it now. 

At the wedding breakfast given for Gen- 
eral Magruder's niece at the mansion of the 
governor-general of Canada, the governor 
asked my Soldier to what he attributed the 
failure of the Confederates at Gettysburg. 
With a twinkle in his eyes, he replied, "Well, 
I think the Yankees had a little something to 
do with it." 

In the summer of 1B75, when we were pre- 
pared to start for White Sulphur Springs, my 
Soldier was suddenly called to Norfolk. 
Very much against his advice, I insisted on 
accompanying him. It was fortunate, for 
after two days of anxious work he fell ill, and 

24. 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

died there. The evening he was dying, the 
doctor wanted to give him an anodyne, but he 
said: 

"Doctor, you say that I must die. I want 
to go in my right mind. I would rather suf- 
fer pain and know. Please leave me now. I 
do not want anybody but my wife." 

The longest procession of mourners ever 
known in Virginia followed him to his grave 
on Gettysburg Hill, in beautiful Hollywood. 

General Longstreet has written of my Sol- 
dier: 

"I first met him as a cadet at West Point, in the heyday 
of his bright young manhood, in 1842. Upon graduating, 
he was assigned to the regiment to which I had been pro- 
moted, the Eighth United States Infantry, and Lieutenant 
Pickett served gallantly with us continuously until, for 
meritorious service, he was promoted captain in 1856. He 
served with distinguished, valor in all the battles of General 
Scott in Mexico, including the siege of Vera Cruz, and 
was always conspicuous for gallantry. He was the first 
to scale the parapets of Chapultepec on the 13th of Sep- 
tember, 1847, and was the brave American who unfurled 
our flag over the castle as the enemy's troops retreated, 
25 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

firing at the splendid Pickett as he floated our victorious 
colors. 

"In memory I can see him, of medium height, of grace- 
ful build, dark, glossy hair, worn almost to his shoulders 
in curly waves, of wondrous pulchritude and magnetic 
presence, as he gallantly rode from me on that memorable 
third day of July, 1863, saying, in obedience to the impera- 
tive order to which I could only bow assent, 'I will lead 
my division forward, General Longstreet.' He was de- 
voted to his martial profession . . . 

"His greatest battle was really at Five Forks, April i, 
1865, where his plans and operations were masterful and 
skillful. If they had been executed as he designed them 
there might have been no Appomattox, and despite the 
disparity of overwhelming numbers, a brilliant victory 
would have been his if reinforcements which he had every 
reason to expect had opportunely reached him; but they 
were not ordered in season and did not join the hard- 
pressed Pickett until night, when his position had long 
since been attacked by vastly superior numbers with repeat- 
ing rifles. 

"He was of an open, frank, and genial temperament, but 
he felt very keenly the distressing calamities entailed upon 
the beloved sunny South by the results of the war; yet, 
with the characteristic fortitude of a soldier, he bowed with 
resignation to the inevitable, gracefully accepted the situa- 
tion, recognized the duty of the unfortunate to accept the 

26 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

results in no querulous spirit, and felt his obligation to 
share its effects. 

"No word of blame, or censure even, of his superior 
officers ever escaped Pickett's lips, but he nevertheless felt 
profoundly the sacrifice of his gallant soldiers vi^hom he so 
loved. At Five Forks he had a desperate but a fighting 
chance, and if any soldier could have snatched victory 
from defeat, it w^as the intrepid Pickett, and it was cruel 
to leave that brilliant and heroic leader and his Spartan 
band to the same hard straits they so nobly met at Gettys- 
burg. At Five Forks Pickett lost more men in thirty 
minutes than we lost, all told, in the recent Spanish- 
American war from bullets, wounds, sickness, or any other 
casualty, showing the unsurpassed bravery with which 
Pickett fought, and the tremendous odds and insuperable 
disadvantages under and against which this incomparable 
soldier so bravely contended ; but with George E. Pickett, 
whether fighting under the stars and stripes at Chapultepec, 
or under the stars and bars at Gettysburg, duty was his 
polar star, and with him duty was above consequences, and 
at a crisis, he would throw them overboard," 

General McClellan has said: 

"Perhaps there is no doubt that he was the best infantry 
soldier developed on either side during the Civil War. 
His friends and admirers are by no means confined to the 
Southern people or soldiers to whom he gave his heart and 
best affections and of whom he was so noble a type, but 
throughout the North and on the Pacific coast, where he 
long served, his friends and lovers are legion. 
27 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

"He was of the purest type of the perfect soldier, pos- 
sessing manly beauty in the highest degree; a mind large 
and capable of taking in the bearings of events under ail 
circumstances; of that firm and dauntless texture of soul 
that no danger or shock of conflict could appall or confuse ; 
full of that rare magnetism which could infuse itself into 
masses of men and cause any mass under his control to act 
as one; his perception clear; his courage of that rare proof 
which rose to the occasion; his genius for war so marked 
that his companions all knew that his mind worked clearer 
under fire and in the 'deadly and imminent breach,' than 
even at mess-table or in the merry bivouac, where his genial 
and kindly comradeship and his perfect breeding as a gen- 
tleman made him beloved of his friends. 

"He will live in history as nearer to Light Horse Harry, 
of the Revolution, than any other of the many heroes pro- 
duced by Old Virginia — his whole history, when told, as 
it will be by some of the survivors of Pickett's men, will 
reveal a modern type of the Chevalier Bayard, sans peur et 
sans reproche. 

"Could he have had his wish, he had died amid the roar 
of battle. No man of our age has better illustrated the 
aptitude for war of his class of our country, and with these 
talents for war was united the truest and sweetest nature. 
No man of his time was more beloved of women, of men 
and of soldiers. He was to the latter a rigid disciplinarian 
and at the same time the soldier's friend. Virginia will 

28 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

rank him in her roll of fame with Lee, with Johnston, 
with Jackson they love as Stonewall ; and mourners for the 
noble and gallant gentleman, the able and accomplished 
soldier, are legion." 

These were the tributes of friend and ene- 
my — if any man, though he fought him on 
the field of battle, could be called his enemy. 
Rivers of blood did not quench the flames of 
the campfires of Mexico and the West. My 
Soldier's comrades under the old flag were 
still his comrades through the crucial test of 
that most deadly warfare, a conflict between 
the opposing sections of the same country. 

To me the legacy of love that he left in his 
letters and in the memories of his daily life 
is greater than any riches earth could give. 
The nobility of soul with which he met the 
problems that come to men in the arena of 
the world is a treasured possession in my 
heart even greater than his magnificent hero- 
ism on the field of battle. The radiance of 
the stars in the blue sky of peace eclipse the 
crimson glow of the fiery comet of war. The 
heart of "My Soldier" is mine to-day as it was 
29 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

in that long-gone yesterday when I awaited 
the messages that link the battlefield with to- 
morrow's Eternal Harmony. 

La Salle Corbell Pickett. 



30 



PART ONE 




' ^^ 



In the early days 
of the Long Struggle 



31 



A T the time fwhen these letters begin, 
•^ the General (then Captain Pickett, 
U. S. A.) ivas stationed at Fori Belling- 
ham in the north-west. Before leaving 
Virginia, he had become engaged to 
"Little Miss Sally" Corbell, ivho during 
his absence ivas fitting herself at school 
to be a soldier's -wife. The summons to 
arms in the cause of the seceding states 
fwas late in reaching the Captain at his 
far-aivay post, and he, being in the dark 
as to the course of events, ivas even more 
tardy to respond; but ivhen the news came 
telling of the luithdrawal of his native 
state from the Union he resigned his com- 
mission immediately and cast his lot with 
that of the Confederacy. 

The letters in this part give many vivid 
glimpses of the armies in action, as they 
do of the lighter side of a soldier's life, 
during the first year and a half of the 
War. There are lapses of weeks — even 
months — between them, due to the fact 
that some are missing; others, whose 
pages time has stained, are undecipher- 
able, and in still other instances the for- 
tunes of war kept the General so near his 
sweetheart that letters were not needed 
to carry to her the tale of his love. 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 



In Which the General Tells Why He Sided 
With the South 

SEVERAL weeks ago I wrote quite a long 
letter from far-away San Francisco to 
a very dear little girl, and told her that a cer- 
tain soldier who wears one of her long, silken 
ringlets next his heart was homeward bound 
and that he hoped a line of welcome would 
meet him on his arrival in his native state. 
He told her of the difficulties he had experi- 
enced in being relieved from his post, of how 
sorry he was to sheathe the sword which had 
helped to bring victory to the country for 
which he had fought, and how sorry he was 
to say good-by to his little command and to 
part from his faithful and closest companion, 
his dog, and his many dear friends; but sor- 
rier still for the existing circumstances which 
33 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

made this severance necessary. He told her 
many things for which, with him, she will be 
sorry, and some of which he hopes will make 
her glad. He is troubled by finding no an- 
swer to this long letter which, having at that 
time no notion of the real conditions here, he 
is afraid was written too freely by far. 

No, my child, I had no conception of the 
intensity of feeling, the bitterness and hatred 
toward those who were so lately our friends 
and are now our enemies. I, of course, have 
always strenuously opposed disunion, not as 
doubting the right of secession, which was 
taught in our text-book at West Point, but as 
gravely questioning its expediency. I be- 
lieved that the revolutionary spirit which in- 
fected both North and South was but a passing 
phase of fanaticism which would perish under 
the rebuke of all good citizens, who would 
surely unite in upholding the Constitution; 
but when that great assembly, composed of 
ministers, lawyers, judges, chancellors, states- 
men, mostly white haired men of thought, met 
in South Carolina and when their districts 
iwere called crept noiselessly to the table in 

34 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

the center of the room and affixed their signa- 
tures to the parchment on which the ordi- 
nance of secession was inscribed, and when in 
deathly silence, spite of the gathered multi- 
tude. General Jamison arose and without pre- 
amble read: "The ordinance of secession has 
been signed and ratified; I proclaim the State 
Oi South Carolina an independent sover- 
eignty," and lastly, when my old boyhood's 
friend called for an invasion, it was evident 
that both the advocates and opponents of se- 
cession had read the portents aright. 

You know, my little lady, some of those 
cross-stitched mottoes on the cardboard sam- 
plers which used to hang on my nursery wall, 
such as, "He who provides not for his own 
household is worse than an infidel" and 
"Charity begins at home," made a lasting im- 
pression upon me; and while I love my neigh- 
bor, i. e., my country, I love my household, 
i. e., my state, more, and I could not be an in- 
fidel and lift my sword against my own kith 
and kin, even though I do believe, my most 
wise little counselor and confidante, that 
the measure of American greatness can be 
25 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

achieved only under one flag, and I fear, alas, 
there can never again reign for either of us the 
true spirit of national unity, whether divided 
under two flags or united under one. 

We did not tarry even for a day in 'Frisco, 
but under assumed names my friend, Sam 
Barron, and I sailed for New York, where we 
arrived on the very day that Sam's father. 
Commodore Barron, was brought there a pris- 
oner, which fact was proclaimed aloud by the 
pilot amid cheers of the passengers and upon 
our landing heralded by the newsboys with 
more cheers. Poor Sam had a hard fight to 
hide his feelings and to avoid arrest. We 
separated as mere ship acquaintances, and 
went by different routes to meet again, as ar- 
ranged, at the house of Doctor Paxton, a 
Southern sympathizer and our friend. 

On the next day we left for Canada by the 
earliest train. Thence we made our perilous 
way back south again, barely escaping arrest 
several times, and finally arrived in dear old 
Richmond, September 13th, just four days 
ago. I at once enlisted in the army and the 

36 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

following day was commissioned Captain. 
But so bitter is the feeling here that my being 
unavoidably delayed so long in avowing my 
allegiance to my state has been most cruelly 
and severely criticized by friends — yes, and 
even relatives, too. 

Now, little one, if you had the very faintest 
idea how happy a certain captain in the C. S. 
A. (My, but that "C" looks queer!) would be 
to look into your beautiful, soul-speaking eyes 
and hear your wonderfully musical voice, I 
think you would let him know by wire where 
he could find you. I shall almost listen for 

the electricity which says, "I am at . 

Come." I know that you will have mercy on 
your devoted 

Soldier. 

Richmond, September iT, l86l. 



37 



II 



Written After a Light Skirmish With the 
Enemy 

YOUR welcome note gladdened my droop- 
ing spirits last evening. How can I 
thank you for the token? ^ I shall always 
cherish it, my darling. I sent a short note to 
you via Petersburg to Wakefield. I sincerely 
trust you received it, as in it I advised you not 
to come down into this part of the country. 
The Yankees are burning everything they can 
reach, and God only knows what excesses they 
may commit on the defenseless, should they 
have the power. So much troubled am I 
about you, that I send this by a courier of my 
own, that he may deliver it to you in person 
(how I wish I were the courier). I'm afraid 
you will only expose yourself needlessly to 

1 A wreath and stars, which she had embroidered for his 
collar. 

38 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

harm. I don't know when I shall see you, 
but I should be nearly as far from you as at 
present. At any rate, I should be worse than 
miserable did I know you were so near these 
now apparently infuriated beings. 

Alas, my darling, as the Indian says when 
despondent, "My heart is on the ground." 
The enemy has been strongly reenforced, and 
the town is one network of batteries and en- 
trenchments. I have had two little brushes 
with them, running them into their works both 
times — the first one yesterday week. I was 
ordered to make a reconnaissance in force, 
which was done by a part of Armistead's Bri- 
gade, and in so doing we got under a con- 
centrated fire of about sixteen guns and had 
as jolly a little time of it for about fifteen 
minutes as I ever saw. Parrot and round 
shot were about as thick as the ticks are, and 
their name is legion. However, the object 
was effected, and we have lost altogether 
only about seventy-five men from my 
division. 

Haven't you some relatives living this side 
of the Blackwater — a Captain Phillips of the 
3rd? Write me, my dearest. Two long, 
39 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

weary weeks since I drank comfort from those 
bright eyes — to me a year of anxiety. 
Your devoted and miserable 

Soldier. 

'New Somerton Road, April 21, 1862, 



40 



ni 



Concerning Legitimate Warfare, Secession 
and the Mishaps of an Old Major of Ar- 
tillery 

MY heart beat with joy this morning when 
Captain Peacock returned to camp, 
bringing me your beautiful letter — beautiful 
because it was the echo of a pure spirit and a 
radiant soul. I am humbly grateful, my 
little girl, for this loyal devotion which you 
give me — your Soldier. Let us pray to our 
dear Heavenly Father to spare us to each 
other and give us strength to bear cheerfully 
this enforced separation. I know that it can- 
not be long, and that sooner or later our flag 
will float over the seas of the world, for our 
cause is right and just. 

Why, my Sally, all that we ask is a separa- 
tion from people of contending interests, who 
love us as a nation as little as we love them, 
the dissolution of a union which has lost its 
41 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

holiness, to be let alone and permitted to sit 
under our own vine and fig tree and eat our 
figs peeled and dried or fresh or pickled, just 
as we choose. The enemy is our enemy be- 
cause he neither knows nor understands us, 
and yet will not let us part in peace and be 
neighbors, but insists on fighting us to make 
us one with him, forgetting that both slavery 
and secession were his own institutions. The 
North is fighting for the Union, and we — for 
home and fireside. All the men I know and 
love in the world — comrades and friends, both 
North and South — are exposed to hardships 
and dangers, and are fighting on one side or 
the other, and each for that which he knows 
to be right. 

Speaking of fighting. Captain Peacock this 
morning brings us the news that the daring, 
fearless has again won — shall I say, a vic- 
tory? No, not victory. Victory is such a 
glorious, triumphant word. I cannot use it 
in speaking of warfare that is illegal to many 
of us. Marse Robert's ^ approval and com- 
mendation of this illegitimate mode is a source 
of surprise, for, like many of us, the dear old 

1 General Lee. 

42 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

*Tyee" was reared and schooled in honorable 
warfare. 

Well, as Trenholm said, only those who 
have enlisted for this whole war, with mus- 
kets on their shoulders and knapsacks on their 
backs, have a right to criticize; but I reserve 
even from these the right, and acknowledge 
myself wrong in criticizing. An old army 
story, though hardly illustrative enough to be 
justifiable in telling, occurs to me: 

An old major of artillery, who was always 
deploring the fact that he couldn't use his own 
favorite arm against the Indians, determined 
one day to try the moral effect of it upon a 
tribe of friendly ones nearby. So he took one 
of the small howitzers which defended the 
fort and securely strapped it to the back of an 
army mule, with the muzzle projecting over 
the mule's tail, and then proceeded with the 
captain, sergeant and orderly to the bluff on 
the bank of the Missouri where the Indians 
were encamped. The gun was loaded and 
primed, the fuse inserted and the mule backed 
to the very edge of the bluff. 

The mule with his wonted curiosity, hear- 
ing the fizzing, turned his head to see what 
43 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

unusual thing was happening to him. The 
next second his feet were bunched up together, 
making forty revolutions a minute, the gun 
threatening with instant destruction every- 
thing within a radius of five miles. The cap- 
tain climbed a tree, the sergeant and orderly 
following suit. The fat major, too heavy to 
climb, rolled over on the ground, alternately 
praying to God and cursing the mule. When 
the explosion came, the recoil of the gun and 
the wild leap of the terrified mule carried 
both over the bluff and to the bottom of 
the river. The captain, the sergeant and the 
poor, crestfallen, discomfited major, with the 
mule and the gun to account for, returned to 
the fort, soon to be waited on by the Indian 
chiefs, who had held a hurried council. The 
high chief, bowing his head up and down, 
said: 

"Injun go home. Injun ver' brave. Injun 
love white man. Injun help white man. In- 
jun heap use gun, use knife, heap use bow- 
arrow; but when white man shoot off whole 
jackass, Injun no think right — no can under- 
stand. Injun no help white man fight that 
way. Injun go home." 

44 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

So, my Sally, if you will forgive your 
Soldier for telling this old-time story and let 
him say that he does not approve of fighting 

in the way in which fights, he will bid 

you good-by and eat his breakfast, which the 
cook says is getting cold. Will you come, my 
darling, and have some coffee with your 
Soldier? It is some we captured, and is real 
coffee. 

Come! The tin cup is clean and shining; 
but the corn-bread is greasy and smoked. 
And the bacon — that is greasy, too, but it is 
good and tastes all right, if it will only hold 
out till our Stars and Bars wave over the land 
of the free and the home of the brave, and 
we have our own home. Nevermore we'll 
hear of wars, but only love and life with its 
eternal joys. 

Your Own Soldier. 

Headquarters, May — , 1S62. 



45 



IV 

In Which Are Given Certain Important De- 
tails of the Battle of Seven Pines 

A VIOLENT storm was raging, flooding 
the level ground, as I wrote you last, 
followed the next day by one of fire and blood 
— the Battle of Seven Pines. 

I pray that you accepted the invitation of 
your mountain chum, and that your beautiful 
eyes and tender heart have been spared the 
horrors of war which this battle must have 
poured into sad Richmond. Three hundred 
and fifty of your Soldier's brigade, 1,700 
strong, were killed or wounded, and all fought 
as Virginians should, fighting as they did for 
the right, for love, honor, home and state — 
principles which they had been taught from 
the mothers' knees, the schoolroom and the 
pulpit. 

Under orders from Old Peter,* we marched 

^ General Longstreet. 

46 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

at daylight and reported to D. H. Hill, near 
Seven Pines. Hill directed me to ride over 
and communicate with Hood. I started at 
once with Charlie and Archer, of my staff, to 
obey this order, but had gone only a short dis- 
tance when we met a part of the Louisiana 
Zouaves in panic. I managed to seize and de- 
tain one fellow, mounted on a mule that 
seemed to have imbibed his rider's fear and 
haste. The man dropped his plunder and 
seizing his carbine threatened to kill me un- 
less I released him at once, saying that the 
Yankees were upon his heels. We galloped 
back to Hill's headquarters — Archer bringing 
up the rear with the Zouave, who explained 
that the enemy were advancing in force and 
were within a few hundred yards of us. Hill 
ordered me to attack at once, which I did, 
driving them through an abatis over a cross- 
road leading to the railroad. 

As we were nearing the second abatis, I, on 
foot at the time, noticed that Armistead's Bri- 
gade had broken, and sent a courier back post- 
haste to Hill for troops. A second and third 
message were sent and then a fourth, telling 
him that if he would send me more troops and 
47 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

ammunition we could drive the enemy across 
the Chickahominy. But alas, Hill, as brave, 
as great, as heroic a soldier as he is, has, since 
the fall of Johnston, been so bothered and an- 
noyed with countermanding orders that he 
was, if I may say so, confused and failed to 
respond. After this delay nothing was left for 
us but to withdraw. Hill sent two regiments 
of Colston's Brigade and ordered Mahone's 
Brigade on my right, and at one o'clock at 
night, under his orders, we withdrew in per- 
fect order and the enemy retreated to their 
bosky cover. 

Thus, my darling, was ended the Battle of 
Seven Pines. No shot was fired afterward. 
How I wish I could say it ended all battles 
and that the last shot that will ever be heard 
was fired on June first, 1862. What a change 
love does make! How tender all things be- 
come to a heart touched by love — how beauti- 
ful the beautiful is and how abhorrent is evil! 
See, my darling, see what power you have — 
guard it well. 

I have heard that my dear old friend, Mc- 
Clellan, is lying ill about ten miles from here. 
May some loving, soothing hand minister to 

48 




" The enemy is there, General, 
and 1 am goin^ to strike him," 
said Marse Robert in his firm, 
quiet voice. — Pa^e g^. 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

him. He was, he is and he will always be, 
even were his pistol pointed at my heart, my 
dear, loved friend. May God bless him and 
spare his life. You, my darling, may not be 
in sympathy with this feeling, for I know you 
see "no good in Nazareth." Forgive me for 
feeling differently from you, little one, and 
please don't love me any the less. You cannot 
understand the entente cordiale between us 
"old fellows." 

Faithfully, 

Your Soldier. 

Mechanicsville Turnpike, June 1, 1862. 



49 



V 

Containing a Presentiment of Danger — the 

Night Before He was Wounded at 

Gaines's Mill 

ALL last night, my darling Sally, the spirit 
of my dear mother seemed to hover over 
me. When she was living and I used to feel 
in that way, I always, as sure as fate, received 
from her a letter written at the very time that 
I had the sensation of her presence. I wonder 
if up there she is watching over me, trying to 
send me some message — some warning. I 
wish I knew. 

This morning my brigade moved from its 
cantonments on the "Williamsburg road and 
by daybreak was marching along the Mechan- 
icsville turnpike, leading north of Richmond. 
The destination and character of the expedi- 
tion, my darling, is unknown; but the position 
of other troops indicates a general movement. 
This evening we crossed the Chickahominy 
and are bivouacked on our guns in the road 
in front of Mechanicsville, from which point 

50 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

I am blessing my spirit and refreshing my soul 
by sending a message to my promised wife. 
I am tired and sleepy, several times to-day 
going to sleep on my horse. 

This war was really never contemplated in 
earnest. I believe if either the North or the 
South had expected that their differences 
would result in this obstinate struggle, the 
cold-blooded Puritan and the cock hatted 
Huguenot and Cavalier would have made a 
compromise. Poor old Virginia came oftener 
than Noah's dove with her olive branch. 
Though she desired to be loyal to the Union 
of States, she did not believe in the right of 
coercion, and when called upon to furnish 
troops to restrain her sister states she refused, 
and would not even permit the passage of an 
armed force through her domain for that pur- 
pose. With no thought of cost, she rolled up 
her sleeves, ready to risk all in defense of a 
principle consecrated by the blood of her 
fathers. And now, alas, it is too late. We 
must carry through this bitter task unto the 
end. May the end be soon! 

Your Soldier. 

In Campj June Z'j, I862, 
SI 



VI 

At His Old Home Recovering From His 
Wound 

IT is only when you are here with me, my 
darling, that I ani not chafing, fretting, 
under my enforced absence from my com- 
mand. As poor a marksman as the Yankee 
was who shot me, I wish he had been poorer 
still, aiming, as he must have been, either at 
my head or my heart and breaking my wing. 
He was frightened, too, I suspect, and had, 
besides, too much powder in his load. What 
did you want with that shot-smoked, burnt 
coat sleeve? The arm it held is yours to work 
for and shield you, my love, for always. 

Impatient and restive as I am to get back 
to the field, letters and reports just received 
show me that I am not missed and that my 
gallant old brigade is proving its valor as 
loyally under its new leader as when it so fear- 
lessly followed your Soldier. It held Water- 

52 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

loo Bridge against Pope while Jackson crossed 
the Rappahannock, and on the afternoon 
of the 30th received and repelled the on- 
set of Fitz John Porter, magnificently clear- 
ing the field and winning a victory for our 
arms. 

The news came, too, this morning of the 
death of Kearny, one of the most brilliant gen- 
erals of the Federal Army, a man whose fame 
as a soldier is world-wide. I knew him first 
in Mexico, where, as you know, he lost an arm 
at the siege of Mexico City. In Algeria he 
won the Cross of the Legion of Honor. He 
fought with the French in the battles of 
Magenta and Solferino and received also from 
Napoleon Third the decoration of the Legion 
of Honor. I wish we had taken him prisoner 
instead of shooting him. I hate to have such 
a man as Kearny killed. Marse Robert, who 
was his old friend, sent his body to Pope under 
a flag of truce. I am glad he did that — poor 
old Kearny! 

The same courier, brought the sad news 
that our Ewell had lost a leg and our Tallia- 
ferro had been wounded. And these are the 
horrors to which, when away from you, my 

53 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

beautiful darling, your soldier is impatient to 
return. 

Never, never did men, since the world be- 
gan, fight like ours. The Duke of Somerset, 
who sneeringly laughed when he saw our 
ragged, dirty, barefooted soldiers — ^'Mostly 
beardless boys," as he said — took off his hat in 
reverence when he saw them fight. 

Lovingly, 

Your Soldier. 

July 15, 1862. 



54 



VII 

Mostly Concerning Bob, His Body-Servant 

HOW I shall miss your visit to-day, my 
darling! I wish you had not gone. 
Don't stay. Doctor Minnegerode asked me 
this morning when he called, "Who sent the 
beautiful flowers?" Bob, to save me from 
answering, said, "De same young lady sont de 
flowers, Marse Doctor, dat 'broidered dat cape 
fer Marse George, en 'broidered dem dar 
slippers he's got on, en sont him de 'broidered 
stars dat he w'ars on his coat when he w'ars 
it; but dat young lady ain't de only est young 
lady dat sends Marse George flowers en 
things. No, Suh." 

The dear old doctor understood; he winked 
at me and changed the subject. He is as loyal 
to the South, dear old fellow, as if his ances- 
tors had landed at Jamestown. When he 
asked after my wound he said he would like 
to pray with me, though the dear old man 
55 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

pronounced it, with his German accent, 
"bray," and that reminded me of a story, and 
instead of having my thoughts and my heart 
set upon his beautiful prayer as I should have 
— miserable sinner that I w^as — I began think- 
ing of Tom August, v^^ho said that one Sunday 
someone meeting him coming out of Old St. 
Paul's asked him v^hat w^as the matter. He 
replied, "Oh, nothing. I'm not a jackass and 
I'm not going to bray, and old Doctor Minne- 
gerode not only insists that I, but that his 
v^^hole congregation, shall 'bray.' I, for one, 
will not do it and I don't want to make a row 
about it; so I came out. I wonder what the 
efifect would be if we took him literally and 
didairbray'?" 

Now, my darling, forgive this foolish story. 
I learned to like story-telling, listening as a 
boy to the best story-teller in the .world, Mr. 
Lincoln. 

Even the bird knows you are not coming 
to-day, for he doesn't sing. I shall hold you 
to the last line of your sweet note, which says, 
"I'll come to you, my Soldier, before the 
flowers die." When Bob asked me, "Is Miss 
Sallie comin' dis ebenin' er in de mornin'?" 

56 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

I answered, "She does not mention any set 
time, Bob. She only says she'll come before 
the flowers die." "De flowers ain't waxinated 
flowers, is dey, Marse George?" he asked. 
"Den if dey ain't waxinated 'twon't be long fo' 
she is here." 

When I asked him to hold the paper while 
I wrote, he humbly, beseechingly asked, 
"Please, Suh, Marse George, ef hit ain't axin' 
too much, when you comes ter writin' er dem 
dar words lak love en honey en darlin', er any 
er dem poetry rhymes 'bout roses red en 
violets blue, won't you please, Suh, show 'em 
ter me?" I didn't promise him, my sweet- 
heart. I only said, "Hold that paper steady, 
Sir, and don't let it slip." But when I did 
call you "darling" or tell you I loved you, I 
felt so guilty that the rascal knew it and 
grinned. 



Your own 

Soldier. 



July i8, 1862. 



57 



VIII 

Written Upon His Return to His Old Com- 
mand 

DARLING, my heart turns to you with a 
love so great that pain follows in its 
wake. You cannot understand this, my beau- 
tiful, bright-eyed, sunny-hearted princess. 
Your face, is the sweetest face in all the world, 
mirroring, as it does, all that is pure and un- 
selfish, and I must not cast a shadow over it by 
the fears that come to me, in spite of myself. 
No, a soldier should not know fear of any 
kind. I must fight and plan and hope, and 
you must pray. Pray for a realization of all 
our beautiful dreams, sitting beside our own 
hearthstone in our own home — you and I, you 
my goddess of devotion, and I your devoted 
slave. May God in his mercy spare my life 
and make it worthy of you ! 

My shoulder and arm are still quite stiff, 
and I cannot yet put my sleeve on the wounded 
arm. I have on one sleeve, and my coat is 
thrown over my other shoulder and other arm. 

5S 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

I can reach my mouth with my hand by bend- 
ing my neck way over; so I am not helpless. 
Bob still buttons my collar and does some 
other little services. Until I have more con- 
trol of my arm, however, I shall confine my- 
self to riding old Black and not venture on 
Lucy. Enough of so small a matter. 

My boys are delighted to welcome me back, 
showing their affection for me in many, many 
ways. Garnett is still in command of my dear 
old brigade, which was temporarily turned 
over to him when I was wounded and which, 
under his gallant leadership, has sustained its 
old reputation for fearlessness and endurance. 
I miss dear, familiar faces, for many of the 
brave fellows have been killed and wounded. 
You have heard me speak of Colonel Strange 
— a gallant soldier. He was wounded and 
left behind. After he was shot the plucky old 
chap called out in a loud, clear voice, "Stand 
firm, boys; stand firm." 

Well, the Yankees won the battle, but Mc- 
Clellan's delay in winning enabled Old Jack ^ 
to seize Harper's Ferry, so it was not so great 
a victory for them after all. Old Jack's note 

1 General Stonewall Jackson. 
59 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

to Marse Robert, telling him of his success, 
was characteristic in both brevity and diction. 
He said, "Through God's mercy Harper's 
Ferry and its garrison are to be surrendered." 

The seventeenth following is recorded in let- 
ters of blood for both armies, and in its wake 
came Lincoln's great political victory, prov- 
ing the might of the pen, in his Emancipation 
Proclamation — winning with it the greatest 
victory yet for the North. It will behoove us 
now to heed well the old story of "The Lark 
and the Husbandman," for it will be farewell 
to all foreign intervention unless Greek meets 
Greek and we fight fire with fire and we, too, 
issue an Emancipation Proclamation. I pray 
God that the powers that reign will have the 
wisdom and foresight to see this in its true 
and all-pervading light. It would end the 
war, and I should assume as soon as practi- 
cable the role of schoolmaster and husband to 
the brightest little pupil and the sweetest little 
wife in all the world. 

Your Soldier. 

P. S. Have been placed temporarily in 
command of a division. 

Headquarters, Sept. 2$, 1862. 

60 



IX 

On the Occasion of His Promotion to the Rank 

of Major-General — Telling of Jackson and 

Garnett 

TO-DAY I was officially promoted to the 
rank of Major-General and permanently 
placed in command of a division. My dear 
old brigade, which I love and which was with 
me in the battles of Williamsburg, Seven Pines 
and Gaines's Mill, was assigned to General 
Garnett and there comes somehow, in spite of 
everything, a little ''kind of curious" feeling 
within when I hear it called "Garnett's Bri- 
gade," even though he has been in command 
of it almost ever since I was wounded and has 
won for it distinction and from it love and 
respect. 

Old Dick is a fine fellow, a brave, splendid 
soldier. He was in the Mexican war and was 
wounded in the battle of Mexico. He com- 
manded a brigade under Old Jack and was 
6i 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

for a time in command of the famous old 
^'Stonewall Brigade." You have not met him, 
my sweetheart; but I want you to know him. 
He is as sensitive and proud as he is fearless 
and sweet-spirited, and has felt more keenly 
than most men would Old Jack's censure of 
him at the battle of Kernstown, when all his 
ammunition gave out and he withdrew his 
brigade from the field, for which Old Jack 
had him arrested and relieved from duty. 
Old Jack told Lawton that in arresting Gar- 
nett he had no reference to his want of daring, 
which was surprising for Old Jack to say, who 
never explains anything. 

Lawton, who is one of his generals, says Old 
Jack holds himself as the god of war, giving 
short, sharp commands, distinctly, rapidly and 
decisively, without consultation or explanation 
and disregarding suggestions and remon- 
strances. Being himself absolutely fearless, 
and having unusual mental and moral, as 
well as physical, courage, he goes ahead on his 
own hook, asking no advice and resenting in- 
terference. He places no value on human 
life, caring for nothing so much as fighting, 
unless it be praying. Illness, wounds and all 

62 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

disabilities he defines as inefficiency and in- 
dications of a lack of patriotism. Suffering 
from insomnia, he often uses his men as a seda- 
tive, and when he can't sleep calls them out, 
marches them out a few miles ; then marches 
them back. He never praises his men for gal- 
lantry, because it is their duty to be gallant 
and they do not deserve credit for doing their 
duty. Well, my own darling, I only pray that 
God may spare him to us to see us through. 
If General Lee had Grant's resources he would 
soon end the war ; but Old Jack can do it with- 
out resources. 

Bless your heart, here I am talking of these 
old war-horses to my flower queen. Well, she 
knows how entirely I love her and how I have 
left in her keeping my soul's all. 

Lovingly and faithfully. 

Your Soldier. 

Headquarters, Oct. ii, 1862. 



63 



X 

From the Field of Fredericksburg 

HERE we are, my darling, at Fredericks- 
burg, on the south side of the Rappahan- 
nock, half-way between Richmond and Wash- 
ington, fortified for us by the hand of the 
Great Father. 

I penciled you a note by old Jackerie ^ on the 
1 2th from the foot of the Hills between Hazel 
Run and the Telegraph Road. In it I sent 
a hyacinth — given me by a pretty lady who 
came out with beaten biscuit — and some un- 
written and written messages from Old Peter 
and Old Jack, Hood, Ewell, Stuart, and your 
"brothers," to the "someone" to whom I was 
writing. 

My division, nine thousand strong, is in fine 
shape. It was on the field of battle, as a divi- 
sion, for the first time yesterday, though only 
one brigade, Kemper's, was actively engaged. 

^ Headquarters Postmaster. 

64 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

What a day it was, my darling — this ever to be 
remembered by many of us thirteenth of De- 
cember — dawning auspiciously upon us clad 
in deepest, darkest mourning! A fog such as 
would shame London lay over the valley, and 
through the dense mist distinctly came the un- 
canny commands of the unseen opposing offi- 
cers. My men were eager to be in the midst of 
the fight, and if Hood had not been so cautious 
they would probably have immortalized them- 
selves. Old Peter's orders were that Hood and 
myself were to hold our ground of defense un- 
less we should see an opportunity to attack the 
enemy while engaged with A. P. Hill on the 
right. A little after ten, when the fog had 
lifted and Stuart's cannon from the plain of 
Massaponax were turned upon Meade and 
when Franklin's advance left the enemy's flank 
open, I went up to Hood and urged him to 
seize the opportunity; but he was afraid to as- 
sume so great a responsibility and sent for per- 
mission to Old Peter, who was with Marse 
Robert in a different part of the field. Before 
his assent and approval were received, the op- 
portunity, alas, was lost! 

If war, my darling, is a necessity — and I 
65 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

suppose it is — it is a very cruel one. Your 
Soldier's heart almost stood still as he watched 
those sons of Erin fearlessly rush to their 
death. The brilliant assault on Marye's 
Heights of their Irish Brigade was beyond 
description. Why, my darling, we forgot 
they were fighting us, and cheer after cheer 
at their fearlessness went up all along our 
lines. About fifty of my division sleep their 
last sleep at the foot of Marye's Heights. 

I can't help feeling sorry for Old Burnside 
■' — proud, plucky, hard-headed old dog. I al- 
ways liked him, but I loved little Mac,* and it 
was a godsend to the Confederacy that he was 
relieved. 

Oh, my darling, war and its results did not 
seem so awful till the love for you came. 
Now — now I want to love and bless and help 
everything, and there are no foes — no enemies 
— just love for you and longing for you. 

Your Soldier. 

Fredericksburg, Dec. 14, 1862. 

1 General McCIellan. 



66 



PART TWO 




During the Six Months 

Campaign Before 

Gettysburg 



67 



TOURING the period covered by the 
jL-J letters in this part the burdens of 
the ivar fell heavily upon the soul of 
the General's little s'weetheart, as they 
did upon the ivhole South. Lee's cam- 
paign into Pennsylvania carried his army 
for many months into the country of the 
enemy. It was a land that ivas strange 
to the men and stranger still to the im- 
agination of the sorroi^ing ones ivho 
stayed behind. And at the end of it came 
Gettysburg, vuhere more than five thou- 
sand sons and husbands and lovers laid 
doivn their lives for the cause they thought 
to be just. 

Pickett's charge at Gettysburg is one 
of those deeds of arms that are immortal. 
When it <was over — ending in defeat as 
it did, on account of the lack of promised 
supports — tivo-thirds of his beloved di- 
vision lay sleeping on the slope of Ceme- 
tary Ridge and the heart of their fearless 
commander ivas crushed by the thought of 
their sacrifice and the suffering that it 
meant to the Southland. 



XI 

From the General's Old Home On the Suffolk 
Expedition 

TO-DAY I rode on ahead of my division, 
stopped for a moment at our old home, 
ran into the garden and gathered for my dar- 
ling some lilies of the valley, planted by my 
sweet mother, which I knew were now in the 
full glory of their blossoming. As I plucked 
them one by one, I thought of the dear mother 
who had planted them and the sweet bride- 
to-be who would receive them, and my heart 
went up in gratitude for the great love given 
me by both. 

While I am writing to you, Braxton and 
the cook and the whole household, in fact, 
are busy getting a lunch for me and preparing 
to load up my courier and my boy. Bob, with 
as many more lunches as they can carry, to be 
distributed as far as they will go. My little 
sister is making a paper box to hold my lilies 
69 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

for you, and I am writing a love-letter to stand 
sentinel over them and guard the sweet, sacred 
messages entrusted to them. Old Jackerie 
will take them to you and will also bring you, 
with my sister's love, a box of her own home- 
made dulces. 

Perhaps, sweetheart, perhaps I say, you will 
see your Soldier sooner than you think. You 
know that since the capture of Roanoke Island 
and our abandonment of Norfolk and Suffolk, 
all that section of the country has been in the 
hands of the enemy. Now in the extreme 
northeast corner of North Carolina are stored 
away large quantities of corn and bacon. Old 
Peter, our far-seeing, slow but sure, indefati- 
gable, plodding old war-horse, has planned to 
secure some of these sorely needed supplies for 
our poor, half fed army — and there never was 
such an army, such an uncomplaining, plucky 
body of men — never. 

Why, my darling, during these continuous 
ten days' march, the ground snowy and sleety, 
the feet of many of these soldiers covered only 
with improvised moccasins of raw beef hide, 
and hundreds of them without shoes or blan- 

70 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

kets or overcoats, they have not uttered one 
word of complaint, nor one murmuring tone; 
but cheerily, singing or telling stories, they 
have tramped — tramped — tramped. To 
crown it all, after having marched sixty miles 
over half frozen, slushy roads they passed to- 
day through Richmond, the home of many of 
them, without a halt, with not a straggler — 
greeted and cheered by sweethearts, wives, 
mothers and friends. "God bless you, my 
darling," "God bless you, my son," "Hello, 
old man," "Howdy, Charley," rang all along 
the line. Lunches, slices of bread and meat, 
bottles of milk or hot coffee were thrust into 
grateful hands by the dear people of Rich- 
mond, who thus brought comfort and cheer 
to many a hungry one besides their very own, 
as the men hurriedly returned the greetings 
and marched on. You would hardly recog- 
nize these ragged, barefoot soldiers as the 
trim, tidy boys of two years ago in their hand- 
some gray uniforms, with shining equipment 
and full haversacks and knapsacks. 

Be brave and help me to be brave, my dar- 
ling, and to trust in God. I won't say, "Keep 
7^ 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

your powder dry," for one who doesn't know 
enough to do that is not much of a soldier. 
Faithfully and forever your 

Soldier. 

Richmondj February, 1863. 



72 



XII 

In Which He Urges his Betrothed to Marry 
Him at Once 

THIS morning I awakened from a beauti- 
ful dream, and while its glory still over- 
shadows the waking and fills my soul with 
radiance I write to make an earnest request — 
entreating, praying, that you will grant it. 
You know, my darling, we have no prophets 
in these days to tell us how near or how far is 
the end of this awful struggle. If "the battle 
is not to the strong" then we may win; but 
when all our ports are closed and the world 
is against us, when for us a man killed is a 
man lost, while Grant may have twenty-five 
of every nation to replace one of his, it seems 
that the battle is to the strong. So often al- 
ready has hope been dashed to the winds. 

Why, dear, only a little while since, the 
Army of the Potomac recrossed the Rappa- 
hannock, defeated, broken in spirit, the men 
73 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

deserting, the subordinate officers so severe in 
their criticism of their superiors that the great 
Commander-in-Chief of the Army, Mr. Lin- 
coln, felt it incumbent upon him to write a 
severe letter of censure and rebuke. Note the 
change and hear their bugle-call of hope. 
Hooker, who is alleged to have "the finest 
army on the planet," is reported to be on the 
eve of moving against Richmond. My divi- 
sion and that of Hood, together with the 
artillery of Bearing and Henry, have been 
ordered to a point near Petersburg to meet this 
possible movement. 

Now, my darling, may angels guide my pen 
and help me to write — help me to voice this 
longing desire of my heart and intercede for 
me with you for a speedy fulfillment of your 
promise to be my wife. As you know, it is 
imperative that I should remain at my post 
and absolutely impossible for me to come for 
you. So you will have to come to me. Will 
you, dear? Will you come? Can't your 
beautiful eyes see beyond the mist of my 
eagerness and anxiety that in the bewilderment 
of my worship — worshiping, as I do, one so 
divinely right, and feeling that my love is re- 

74 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

turned — how hard it is for me to ask you to 
overlook old-time customs, remembering only 
that you are to be a soldier's wife? A week, a 
day, an hour as your husband would engulf in 
its great joy all my past woes and ameliorate 
all future fears. 

So, my Sally, don't let's wait; send me a line 
back by Jackerie saying you will come. Come 
at once, my darling, into this valley of the 
shadow of uncertainty, and make certain the 
comfort that if I should fall I shall fall as your 
husband. 

You know that I love you with a devotion 
that absorbs all else — a devotion so divine that 
when in dreams I see you it is as something 
too pure and sacred for mortal touch. And if 
you only knew the heavenly life which thrills 
me through when I make it real to myself that 
you love me, you would understand. Think, 
my dear little one, of the uncertainty and dan- 
gers of even a day of separation, and don't let 
the time come when either of us will look back 
and say, "It might have been." 

If I am spared, my dear, all my life shall be 
devoted to making you happy, to keeping all 
that would hurt you far from you, to making 
75 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

all that is good come near to you. Heaven 
will help me to be ever helpful to you and 
will bless me to bless you. If you knew how 
every hour I kneel at your altar, if you could 
hear the prayers I offer to you and to our 
Heavenly Father for you, if you knew the in- 
cessant thought and longing and desire to 
make you blessed, you would know how much 
your answer will mean to me and how, while 
I plead, I am held back by a reverence and a 
sensitive adoration for you. For, my Sally, 
you are my goddess and I am only 
Your devoted. 

Soldier. 

In Camp, April 15, 1863. 

Note: To those who recall the rigid system of social 
training in which a girl of that period was reared, it will 
not seem strange that a maiden, even in war times, could 
not seriously contemplate the possibility of leaving home 
and being married by the wayside in that desultory and 
unstudied fashion. So, though my heart responded to 
the call, what could I do but adhere to the social laws, 
more formidable than were ever the majestic canons of 
the ecclesiasts? My Soldier admitted that I was right, 
and we agreed to await a more favorable time. — La- 

SALLE CORBELL PiCKETT. 



76 



XIII 

Warning Her to Leave the Danger Zone 

HOPING, my darling, that you heeded 
your Soldier's admonition, and are now 
safe across the "Black Water," I am taking 
the risk of sending to you at Ivor, by my boy 
servant. Bob, a little box of dulces and a note 
filled with adoration. 

My orders to follow Hood's Division have 
been countermanded. Hood was hurried on 
from the "Black Water" by rail to rejoin 
Marse Robert, who has just gained a great 
victory at Chancellorsville. I am ordered in- 
stead to proceed at once with three of my bri- 
gades to Petersburg, via the "Jerusalem- 
Plank-Road," to intercept a cavalry raid. 

Perhaps, my darling, I shall have met these 
raiders ere this reaches you. Who knows 
how many of us may then hear the roll-call 
from the other side and be sorry? But sorry 
for whom? For the comrades who answer to 
77 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

their names and are reported present, or for 
those whose spirit voices, just born, have not 
yet gained the power to reach the ear of the 
orderly and who are reported dead, even 
though they, too, answer, "Here"? For, my 
darling, there is no death, and you must feel 
— must know — now and always, that whether 
here or there, at the roll-call your Soldier 
answers, "Here." 

Now, adieu, my beloved. Close your 
brown eyes and feel my arms around you, for 
I am holding you close — oh, so close! 

Forever your 

Soldier. 

Su^olk, May 5, 1863. 



78 



XIY 
Written When Lee Crossed the Potomac 

EACH day, my darling, takes me farther 
and farther away from you, from all I 
love and hold dear. We have been guarding 
the passes of the Blue Ridge. To-day, under 
orders from Marse Robert, we cross the Po- 
tomac. McLaws' and Hood's Divisions and 
the three brigades of my division follow on 
after Hill. May our Heavenly Father bless 
us with an early and a victorious return. But 
even then, the price of it — the price of it, my 
little one — the blood of our countrymen! 
God in His mercy temper the wind to us I 

As I returned the salute of my men, many 
of them beardless boys, the terrible respon- 
sibility as their Commander almost over- 
whelmed me, and my heart was rent in prayer 
for guidance and help. Oh, the desolate 
homes — the widows and orphans and heart- 
broken mothers that this campaign will make I 
How many of them, so full of hope and cheer 
79 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

now, will cross that other river which lands 
them at the Eternal Home. 

Have faith, my little one; keep up a 
"skookum tum-tum." ^ Your soldier feels that 
he will return to claim his bride — his beauti- 
ful, glorious bride. And then we shall be so 
happy, my darling, that all our days to come, 
we will show our loving gratitude to our 
Father for His mercy in sparing us to each 
other. 

Now, my Sally, how I hate to say it — 
adieu. Do you remember how many times 
we said good-by that last evening? And then 
as I heard the latch of the gate click and shut 
me out, I was obliged to go back. I could not 
stand the cruelty of the sound of that latch — 
it seemed to knife my soul. I turned back and 
said, "Good night!" The door was open; I 
came in. You thought I had gone. I can't 
just remember how many times I said good 
night. I know I did not close the gate as I 
went out again. Keep another gate open for 
the good morning, my precious bride-to-be. 
Oh, the bliss to be — the bliss to be then for 

Your Soldier. 

In Camp, June i8, i86j. 

1 Chinook for strong heart. 

So 



XV 

On the Way Through Pennsylvania 

I NEVER could quite enjoy being a "Con- 
quering Hero." No, my dear, there is 
something radically wrong about my Hurrah- 
ism. I can fight for a cause I know to be just, 
can risk my own life and the lives of those in 
my keeping without a thought of the con- 
sequences; but when we've conquered, when 
we've downed the enemy and won the victory, 
I don't want to hurrah. I want to go ofif all 
by myself and be sorry for them — want to lie 
down in the grass, away off in the woods some- 
where or in some lone valley on the hillside 
far from all human sound, and rest my soul 
and put my heart to sleep and get back some- 
thing — I don't know what — but something I 
had that is gone from me — something subtle 
and unexplainable — something I never knew 
I had till I had lost it — till it was gone — gone 
— gone I 

Yesterday my men were marching victo- 
8i 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

riously through the little town of Greencastle, 
the bands all playing our glorious, soul inspir- 
ing, southern airs: "The Bonny Blue Flag," 
"My Maryland," "Her Bright Smile Haunts 
Me Still," and the soldiers all happy, hopeful, 
joyously keeping time to the music, many fol- 
lowing it with their voices and making up for 
the want of the welcome they were not receiv- 
ing in the enemy's country by cheering them- 
selves and giving themselves a welcome. As 
Floweree's band, playing "Dixie," was passing 
a vine-bowered home, a young girl rushed out 
on the porch and waved a United States flag. 
Then, either fearing that it might be taken 
from her or finding it too large and unwieldy, 
she fastened it around her as an apron, and 
taking hold of it on each side and waving it in 
defiance, called out with all the strength of her 
girlish voice and all the courage of her brave 
young heart: 

"Traitors — traitors — traitors, come and take 
this flag, the man of you who dares!" 

Knowing that many of my men were from a 
section of the country which had been within 
the enemy's lines, and fearing lest some might 
forget their manhood, I took off my hat and 

82 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

bowed to her, saluted her flag and then turned, 
facing the men who felt and saw my unspoken 
order. And don't you know that they were 
all Virginians and didn't forget if, and that 
almost every man lifted his cap and cheered 
the little maiden who, though she kept on wav- 
ing her flag, ceased calling us traitors, till 
letting it drop in front of her she cried out: 

"Oh, I wish — I wish I had a rebel flag; I'd 
wave that, too." 

The picture of that little girl in the vine- 
covered porch, beneath the purple morning 
glories with their closed lips and bowed heads 
waiting and saving their prettiness and bloom 
for the coming morn — of course, I thought of 
you, my darling. For the time, that little 
Greencastle Yankee girl with her beloved flag 
was my own little promised-to-be-wife, receiv- 
ing from her Soldier and her Soldier's soldiers 
the reverence and homage due her. 

We left the little girl standing there with the 
flag gathered up in her arms, as if too sacred 
to be waved now that even the enemy had done 
it reverence. As ever, 

Your Soldier. 

Greencastle, Pa., June 24, 1863. 
83 



XVI 

Lines Penned on the Road to Gettysburg 

WE crossed the Potomac on the 24th at 
Williamsport and went into bivouac on 
the Maryland side, from which place I sent my 
Lady-Love a long letter and some flowers 
gathered on the way. We then went on to 
Hagerstown, where we met A. P. Hill's Corps, 
which had crossed the river farther down. 
From Hagerstown I sent to the same and only 
Lady-Love another letter, which was not only 
freighted with all the adoration and devotion 
of her Soldier's heart, but contained messages 
from the staff and promises to take care of him 
and bring him safely back to her. 

We made no delay at Hagerstown, but pass- 
ing through in the rear of Hill's Corps moved 
on up Cumberland Valley and bivouacked at 
Greencastle, where the most homesick letter of 
all yet written was sent to — well, guess whom 
this time. Why, to the same Lady-Love, the 

84 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

sweetest, loveliest flower that ever blossomed to 
bless and make fairer a beautiful world — for it 
is beautiful, betokening in its loveliness noth- 
ing of this deadly strife between men who 
should be brethren of a great and common 
cause, as they are the heritage of a great and 
common country. 

The officers and men are all in excellent 
condition, bright and cheerful, singing songs 
and telling stories, full of hope and courage, 
inspired with absolute faith and confidence in 
our success. There is no straggling, no dis- 
order, no dissatisfaction, no plundering, and 
there are no desertions. Think of it, my dar- 
ling — an army of sixty thousand men march- 
ing through the enemy's country without the 
least opposition! The object of this great 
movement is, of course, unknown to us. Its 
purpose and our destination are known at 
present only to the Commanding General and 
his Chief Lieutenants. The men generally 
believe that the intention is to entirely sur- 
round the Army of the Potomac and place 
Washington and Baltimore within our grasp. 
They think that Marse Robert is merely 
threatening the northern cities, with the view 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

of suddenly turning down the Susquehanna, 
cutting off all railroad connections, destroying 
all bridges, throwing his army north of Balti- 
more and cutting off Washington, and that 
Beauregard is to follow on directly from Rich- 
mond via Manassas to Washington, in rear 
of Hooker, who of course will be in pursuit 
of Marse Robert. 

Nous verrons. 

We reached here this morning, June 27th, 
the anniversary of the battle of Gaines's Mill, 
where your Soldier was wounded. We 
marched straight through the town of Cham- 
bersburg, which was more deserted than Gold- 
smith's village. The stores and houses were 
all closed, with here and there groups of un- 
cheerful Boers of Deutschland descent, ear- 
nestly talking, more sylvan shadows than smiles 
wreathing their faces. I had given orders that 
the bands were not to play; but as we were 
marching through the northeastern part of 
the city, some young ladies came out onto the 
veranda of one of the prettiest homes in the 
town and asked: 

"Would you mind shooting off the bands a 

bit?" 

86 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

So the command was given and the band 
played "Home Sweet Home," "Annie Laurie," 
"Her Bright Smile Haunts Me Still," "Nellie 
Gray" and "Hazel Dell." The young ladies 
asked the next band that passed if they 
wouldn't play "Dixie"; but the band instead 
struck up "The Old Oaken Bucket," "The 
Swanee River," "The Old Arm Chair," "The 
Lone Rock by the Sea" and "Auld Lang 
Syne." 

"Thought you was rebels. Where'd you 
come from anyhow? Can't play 'Dixie,' none 
of you," they called out. We marched 
straight on through the city and are camped 
four miles beyond the town on the York River 
road. 

To-morrow, if you'll promise not to divulge 
it to a human soul, I'll tell you a great secret. 
No, my darling, I can't wait till to-morrow. 
I'll tell you right now. So listen and cross 
your heart that you won't tell. I love you — • 
love you — love you, and oh, little one, I want 
to see you so! That is the secret. 

Lovingly and forever. 

Your Soldier. 

Chamhersburgj June 2^, i86j. 
87 



XVII 
During a Halt in the Long March 

1WISH, my darling, you could see this 
wonderfully rich and prosperous country, 
abounding in plenty, with its great, strong, 
vigorous horses and oxen, its cows and crops 
and verdantly thriving vegetation — none of 
the ravages of war, no signs of devastation — 
all in woeful contrast to the land where we lay 
dreaming. All the time I break the law 
"Thou shalt not covet," for every fine horse 
or cow I see I want for my darling, and all 
the pretty things I see besides. Never mind, 
she shall have everything some day, and I 
shall have the universe and heaven's choicest 
gift when she is my wife — all my very own. 
At Chambersburg, Marse Robert preached 
us a sermon, first instructing us in the meaning 
of "meum" and "teum," and then taking as his 
text, "Vengeance is Mine, saith the Lord." I 
observed that the mourners' bench was not 
overcrowded with seekers for conversion. 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

The poor fellows were thinking of their own 
despoiled homes, looted of everything, and 
were not wildly enthusiastic as they acquiesced 
obediently to our beloved Commander's or- 
der. The Yanks have taken into the moun- 
tains and across the Susquehanna all the sup- 
plies they could, and we pay liberally for 
those which we are compelled to take, pay- 
ing for them in money which is paid to us, 
our own Confederate script. Some of us 
have a few pieces of gold with which to pur- 
chase some keepsake or token for the dear 
ones at home. Alas, my little one, how many 
of us will be blessed with the giving of them? 
God in His mercy be our Commander-in- 
Chief! 

We have not a wide field for selection here, 
as we once had at Price's dry goods store or 
John Tyler's jewelry establishment in Rich- 
mond; but it seems quite magnificent to us 
now, since the Richmond counters are so bare 
as to offer not even a wedding ring or a yard 

of calico. We are guying General who, 

after long and grave deliberation, bought 
three hoop skirts as a present for his be- 
trothed. 
89 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

All that makes life dear is the thought of 
seeing you and being with you. And oh, what 
an eternity it seems since I said good night! 
Oh, my darling, love me, pray for me, hold 
me in your thoughts, keep me in your heart! 

Our whole army is now in Pennsylvania, 
north of the river. There were rumors that 
Richmond was threatened from all sides — 
Dix from Old Point, Getty from Hanover, 
Keyes from Bottom's Bridge, and so on — and 
that we might be recalled. It turned out to 
be Munchausen, and we are still to march for- 
ward. Every tramp — tramp — tramp is a 
thought — thought — thought of my darling, 
every halt a blessing invoked, every command 
a loving caress; and the thought of you and 
prayer for you make me strong, make me bet- 
ter, give me courage, give me faith. Now, 
my dearest, let my soul speak to yours. Lis- 
ten — listen — listen! You hear — I am an- 
swered. 

Forever and ever, 

Your Soldier. 

In Camp, June 2g, 1863. 



90 



XVIII 

Written While He Awaited the Order to 
Charge at Gettysburg 

CAN my prettice do patchwork? If she 
can, she must piece together these pen- 
ciled scraps of soiled paper and make out of 
them, not a log-cabin quilt, but a wren's nest, 
cement it with love and fill it with blue and 
golden and speckled eggs of faith and hope, 
to hatch out greater love yet for us. 

Well, the long, wearying march from 
Chambersburg, through dust and heat beyond 
compare, brought us here yesterday (a few 
miles from Gettysburg). Though my poor 
men were almost exhausted by the march in 
the intense heat, I felt that the exigencies de- 
manded my assuring Marse Robert that we 
had arrived and that, with a few hours' rest, 
my men would be equal to anything he might 
require of them. I sent Walter with my mes- 
sage and rode on myself to Little Round Top 

Pi- 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

to see Old Peter, who, I tell you, dearest, was 
mighty glad to see me. And now, just think 
of it, though the old war-horse was watching 
A. P. Hill's attack upon the center and Hood 
and McLaws of his own corps, who had 
struck Sickles, he turned and before referring 
to the fighting or asking about the march in- 
quired after you, my darling! While we 
were watching the fight Walter came back 
with Marse Robert's reply to my message, 
which was in part: "Tell Pickett I'm glad 
that he has come, that I can always depend 
upon him and his men, but that I shall not 
want him this evening." 

We have been on the qui vive, sweetheart, 
since midnight and as early as three o'clock 
were on the march. About half past three, 
Gary's pistol signaled the Yankees' attack 
upon Gulp's Hill, and with its echo a wail of 
regret went up from my very soul that the 
other two brigades of my old division had 
been left behind. Oh, God, if only I had 
them — a surety for the honor of Virginia, for 
I can depend upon them, little one. They 
know your Soldier and would follow him into 

92 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

the very jaws of death — and he will need 
them, right here, too, before he's through. 

At early dawn, darkened by the threaten- 
ing rain, Armistead, Garnett, Kemper and 
your Soldier held a heart-to-heart powwow. 

All three sent regards to you, and Old 
Lewis pulled a ring from his little finger and 
making me take it, said, "Give this little token, 
George, please, to her of the sunset eyes, with 
my love, and tell her the 'old man' says since 
he could not be the lucky dog he's mighty 
glad that you are." 

Dear old Lewis — dear old "Lo," as Ma- 
gruder always called him, being short for 
Lothario. Well, my Sally, I'll keep the ring 
for you, and some day I'll take it to John 
Tyler and have it made into a breastpin and 
set around with rubies and diamonds and 
emeralds. You will be the pearl, the other 
jewel. Dear old Lewis I 

Just as we three separated to go our differ- 
ent ways after silently clasping hands, our 
fears and prayers voiced in the "Good luck, 
93 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

old man," a summons came from Old Peter, 
and I immediately rode to the top of the ridge 
where he and Marse Robert were making a 
reconnaissance of Meade's position. "Great 
God!" said Old Peter as I came up. "Look, 
General Lee, at the insurmountable difficul- 
ties between our line and that of the Yankees 
— the steep hills, the tiers of artillery, the 
fences, the heavy skirmish line — and then 
we'll have to fight our infantry against their 
batteries. Look at the ground we'll have to 
charge over, nearly a mile of that open ground 
there under the rain of their canister and 
shrapnel." 

"The enemy is there, General Longstreet, 
and I am going to strike him," said Marse 
Robert in his firm, quiet, determined voice. 

About 8 o'clock I rode with them along 
our line of prostrate infantry. They had 
been told to lie down to prevent attracting 
attention, and though they had been forbid- 
den to cheer they voluntarily arose and lifted 
in reverential adoration their caps to our be- 
loved commander as we rode slowly along. 

94 



..**?»... 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

Oh, the responsibility for the lives of such 
men as these! Well, my darling, their fate 
and that of our beloved Southland will be 
settled ere your glorious brown eyes rest on 
these scraps of penciled paper — your Soldier's 
last letter, perhaps. 

Our line of battle faces Cemetery Ridge. 
Our detachments have been thrown forward 
to support our artillery which stretches over 
a mile along the crests of Oak Ridge and 
Seminary Ridge. The men are lying in the 
rear, my darling, and the hot July sun pours 
its scorching rays almost vertically down upon 
them. The suffering and waiting are almost 
unbearable. 

Well, my sweetheart, at one o'clock the aw- 
ful silence was broken by a cannon-shot and 
then another, and then more than a hundred 
guns shook the hills from crest to base, an- 
swered by more than another hundred — the 
whole world a blazing volcano, the whole of 
heaven a thunderbolt— then darkness and ab- 
solute silence— then the grim and gruesome, 
low-spoken commands — then the forming of 
95 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

the attacking columns. My brave Virginians 
are to attack in front. Oh, may God in mercy 
help me as He never helped before! 

I have ridden up to report to Old Peter. 
I shall give him this letter to mail to you and 
a package to give you if — Oh, my darling, 
do you feel the love of my heart, the prayer, 
as I write that fatal word? 

Now, I go; but remember always that I 
love you with all my heart and soul, with every 
fiber of my being; that now and forever I am 
yours — yours, my beloved. It is almost three 
o'clock. My soul reaches out to yours — my 
prayers. I'll keep up a skookum tumtum for 
Virginia and for you, my darling. 

Your Soldier. 

Gettysburg, July 3, 1863. 



96 



XIX 

Relating Certain Incidents of the Great 
Battle 

MY letter of yesterday, my darling, writ- 
ten before the battle, was full of hope 
and cheer ; even though it told you of the long 
hours of waiting from four in the morning, 
when Gary's pistol rang out from the Federal 
lines signaling the attack upon Gulp's Hill, 
to the solemn eight-o'clock review of my men, 
who rose and stood silently lifting their hats 
in loving reverence as Marse Robert, Old 
Peter and your own Soldier reviewed them — 
on then to the deadly stillness of the five hours 
following, when the men lay in the tall grass 
in the rear of the artillery line, the July sun 
pouring its scorching rays almost vertically 
down upon them, till one o'clock when the 
awful silence of the vast battlefield was 
broken by a cannon-shot which opened the 
greatest artillery duel of the world. The 
97 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

firing lasted two hours. When it ceased we 
took advantage of the blackened field and in 
the glowering darkness formed our attacking* 
column just before the brow of Seminary 
Ridge. 

I closed my letter to you a little before 
three o'clock and rode up to Old Peter for 
orders. I found him like a great lion at bay. 
I have never seen him so grave and troubled. 
For several minutes after I had saluted him 
he looked at me without speaking. Then in 
an agonized voice, the reserve all gone, he 
said: 

^'Pickett, I am being crucified at the 
thought of the sacrifice of life which this at- 
tack will make. I have instructed Alexander 
to watch the effect of our fire upon the enemy, 
and when it begins to tell he must take the re- 
sponsibility and give you your orders, for I 
can't." 

While he was yet speaking a note was 
brought to me from Alexander. After read- 
ing it I handed it to him, asking if I should 
obey and go forward. He looked at me for a 
moment, then held out his hand. Presently, 
clasping his other hand over mine without 

98 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

speaking he bowed his head upon his breast. 
I shall never forget the look in his face nor 
the clasp of his hand when I said: — "Then, 
General, I shall lead my Division on." I had 
ridden only a few paces when I remembered 
your letter and (forgive me) thoughtlessly 
scribbled in a corner of the envelope, "If Old 
Peter's nod means death then good-by and 
God bless you, little one," turned back and 
asked the dear old chief if he would be good 
enough to mail it for me. As he took your let- 
ter from me, my darling, I saw tears glisten- 
ing on his cheeks and beard. The stern old 
war-horse, God bless him, was weeping for his 
men and, I know, praying too that this cup 
might pass from them. I obeyed the silent as- 
sent of his bowed head, an assent given against 
his own convictions, — given in anguish and 
with reluctance. 

My brave boys were full of hope and con- 
fident of victory as I led them forth, forming 
them in column of attack, and though officers 
and men alike knew what was before them, — 
knew the odds against them, — they eagerly of- 
fered up their lives on the altar of duty, hav- 
ing absolute faith in their ultimate success. 
99 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

Over on Cemetery Ridge the Federals beheld 
a scene never before witnessed on this conti- 
nent, — a scene which has never previously been 
enacted and can never take place again — an 
army forming in line of battle in full view, 
under their very eyes — charging across a 
space nearly a mile in length over fields of 
weaving grain and anon of stubble and then a 
smooth expanse — moving with the steadiness 
of a dress parade, the pride and glory soon to 
be crushed by an overwhelming heartbreak/ 

Well, it is all over now. The battle is lost, 
and many of us are prisoners, many are dead, 
many wounded, bleeding and dying. Your 
Soldier lives and mourns and but for you, my 
darling, he would rather, a million times 
rather, be back there with his dead, to sleep 
for all time in an unknown grave. 

Your sorrowing 

Soldier. 

In Camp, July 4, 1863. 

^ Here follows a detailed account of the battle, •which is omitted 
from this volume for the reasons given in the note on page 211. 



100 



XX 

Written in Sorrow and Defeat, Three Days 
After the Struggle 

ON the Fourth— far from a glorious 
Fourth to us or to any with love for his 
fellow-men — I wrote you just a line of heart- 
break. The sacrifice of life on that blood- 
soaked field on the fatal third was too awful 
for the heralding of victory, even for our vic- 
torious foe, who I think, believe as we do, that 
it decided the fate of our cause. No words 
can picture the anguish of that roll-call — the 
breathless waits between the responses. The 
"Here" of those who, by God's mercy, had 
miraculously escaped the awful rain of shot 
and shell was a sob— a gasp— a knell— for the 
unanswered name of his comrade. There was 
no tone of thankfulness for having been 
spared to answer to their names, but rather a 
toll, and an unvoiced wish that they, too, had 
been among the missing. 



lOI 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

Even now I can hear them cheering as I 
gave the order, "Forward!" I can feel the 
thrill of their joyous voices as they called out 
all along the line, "We'll follow you, Marse 
George. We'll follow you — we'll follow 
you." Oh, how faithfully they kept their 
word — following me on — on — to their death, 
and I, believing in the promised support, led 
them on — on — on — Oh, God! 

I can't write you a love-letter to-day, my 
Sally, for with my great love for you and my 
gratitude to God for sparing my life to devote 
to you, comes the overpowering thought of 
those whose lives were sacrificed — of the 
broken-hearted widows and mothers and 
orphans. The moans of my wounded boys, 
the sight of the dead, upturned faces, flood my 
soul with grief — and here am I whom they 
trusted, whom they followed, leaving them on 
that field of carnage — and guarding four 
thousand prisoners across the river back to 
Winchester. Such a duty for men who a few 
hours ago covered themselves with glory 
eternal ! 

Well, my darling, I put the prisoners all on 
their honor and gave them equal liberties with 

102 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

my own soldier boys. My first command to 
them was to go and enjoy themselves the best 
they could, and they have obeyed my order. 
To-day a Dutchman and two of his comrades 
came up and told me that they were lost and 
besought me to help them find their comrades. 
They had been with my men and were sepa- 
rated from their own comrades. So I sent old 
Floyd off on St. Paul to find out where they 
belonged and deliver them. 

This is too gloomy and too poor a letter for 
so beautiful a sweetheart, but it seems sacri- 
legious, almost, to say I love you, with the 
hearts that are stilled to love on the field of 
battle. 

Your Soldier. 

Headquarters, July 6, 1863. 



103 



XXI 

Containing Further Details of the Battle 

I AM enclosing you a copy of General Lee's 
official letter of July 9th, in answer to 
mine of the 8th, the same day on which I 
wrote you (who deserved something brighter) 
that ghostly, woeful letter. 

General Lee's letter has been published to 
the division in general orders and received 
with appreciative satisfaction. The soldiers, 
one and all, love and honor Lee, and his sym- 
pathy and praise are always very dear to them. 
Just after the order was published I heard one 
of the men, rather rough and uncouth and not, 
as are most of the men, to the manner born, 
say, as he wiped away the tears with the back 
of his hand, "Dag-gone him, dag-gone him, 
dag-gone his old soul, I'm blamed ef I 
wouldn't be dag-gone willin' to go right 
through it all and be killed again with them 
others to hear Marse Robert, dag-gone him, 

J04 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

say over again as how he grieved bout'n we- 
all's losses and honored us for we-all's bravery! 
Darned ef I wouldn't." Isn't that reverential 
adoration, my darling, to be vs^illing to be 
''killed again" for a word of praise? 

It seems selfish and inhuman to speak of 
love — haunted as I am with the unnecessary 
sacrifice of the lives of so many of my brave 
boys. I can't think of anything but the deso- 
late homes in Virginia and the unknown dead 
in Pennsylvania. At the beginning of the 
fight I was so sanguine, so sure of success! 
Early in the morning I had been assured by 
Alexander that General Lee had ordered that 
every brigade in his command was to charge 
Cemetery Hill; so I had no fear of not being 
supported. Alexander also assured me of the 
support of his artillery which would move 
ahead of my division in the advance. He told 
me that he had borrowed seven twelve-pound 
howitzers from Pendleton, Lee's Chief of Ar- 
tillery, which he had put in reserve to ac- 
company me. 

In the morning I rode with him while he, 
by Longstreet's orders, selected the salient 
105 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

angle of the wood in which my line was 
formed, which line was just on the left of his 
seventy-five guns. At about a quarter to 
three o'clock, when his written order to make 
the charge was handed to me, and dear Old 
Peter after reading it in sorrow and fear re- 
luctantly bowed his head in assent, I obeyed, 
leading my three brigades straight on the 
enemy's front. You never saw anything like 
it. They moved across that field of death as 
a battalion marches forward in line of battle 
upon drill, each commander in front of his 
command leading and cheering on his men. 
Two lines of the enemy's infantry were driven 
back; two lines of guns were taken — and no 
support came. Pendleton, without Alexan- 
der's knowledge, had sent four of the guns 
which he had loaned him to some other part 
of the field, and the other three guns could 
not be found. The two brigades which were 
to have followed me had, poor fellows, been 
seriously engaged in the fights of the two 
previous days. Both of their commanding of- 
ficers had been killed, and while they had 
been replaced by gallant, competent officers, 

io6 



•jroni^!:i' ! sH'-!i 





Tivo lines of their infantry 
ivere driven back; tivo lines of 
guns ivere taken — and no sup- 
port came. — Page lo6. 



. J 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

these new leaders were unknown to the men. 

Ah, if I had only had my other two brigades 
a different story would have been flashed to 
the world. It was too late to retreat, and to 
go on was death or capture. Poor old Dick 
Garnett did not dismount, as did the others 
of us, and he was killed instantly, falling from 
his horse. Kemper, desperately wounded, 
was brought from the field and subsequently, 
taken prisoner. Dear old Lewis Armistead, 
God bless him, was mortally wounded at the 
head of his command after planting the flag 
of Virginia within the enemy's lines. Seven 
of my colonels were killed, and one was mor- 
tally wounded. Nine of my lieutenant 
colonels were wounded, and three lieutenant 
colonels were killed. Only one field officer 
of my whole command, Colonel Cabell, was 
unhurt, and the loss of my company officers 
was In proportion. 

I wonder, my dear, if in the light of the 
Great Eternity we shall any of us feel this was 
for the best and shall have learned to say, 
"Thy will be done." 

No castles to-day, sweetheart. No, the 
lo^ 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

bricks of happiness and the mortar of love 
must lie untouched in this lowering gloom. 
Pray, dear, for the sorrowing ones. 

Your Soldier. 

Headquarters, July 12, 1863. 

Headquarters, A. N. Va., 
July 9th, 1863. 
General: 

Your letter of the 8th has been received. It was with 
reluctance that I imposed upon your gallant division the 
duty of carrying prisoners to Staunton. I regretted to 
assign them to such a service, as well as to separate them 
from .the Army, though temporarily, with which they 
have been so long and efficiently associated. Though 
small in numbers, their worth is not diminished, and I 
had supposed that the division itself would be loth to 
part from its comrades, at a time when the presence of 
every man is so essential. 

No one grieves more than I do at the loss suffered by 
your noble division in the recent conflict, or honors it 
more for its bravery and gallantry. It will afford me 
hereafter satisfaction, when an opportunity occurs, to do 
all in my power to recruit its diminished ranks, and to 
recognize it in the most efficient manner. 

Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

R. E. Lee, General. 

Major Gen. G. E. Pickett, commanding, 

Forwarded through Lieut. Gen. Longstreet. 
C. Marshall, Major and A. D. C. 

108 



XXII 

On the Way to Richmond — Guarding 
Prisoners 

IT would be impossible, my darling, to de- 
scribe to you even the half of the horrors 
and hardships of these last days, from the first 
night's long march to the present hour; not 
only for ourselves but for the prisoners v^hom, 
w^ith shattered hopes and heartbreak v\^e, the 
little remnant of my division, have been as- 
signed to guard. "One prisoner is too many 
for us, who haven't a crust to go around 
among ourselves," as Old Jack said. 

Oh, the pity of it, guarding these prisoners 
through their own country, depleted and suf- 
fering mentally and physically as we are, and 
being forced to march forward with a speed 
beyond their own and our endurance. It may 
be some consolation to both that we suffer 
alike from fatigue, hunger, exhaustion and 
wet, for the excessive rains which set in on the 
fourth have continued unabated. 
109 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

The long wagon-trains, the artillery, the as- 
sortment of vehicles of all kinds impressed 
from the farmers and loaded to their utmost 
capacity with our wounded and, anon, room 
made for the crowding in of yet another, fall- 
ing from illness or exhaustion all along our 
way, have added their quota to the discom- 
forts of the march. Our commissariat, too, 
has been as wretched here in this land of 
plenty as it was in the barren, war- ridden land 
we left behind. Our banquets, we, the guard 
of honor, and our guests, the prisoners, have 
shared like-and-like, and none was ever more 
enjoyed by either than the flour made into 
paste and baked on the stones in front of the 
fire and the good Pennsylvania beef roasted 
on the end of a stick. By the way, my Sally, 
when you are my little housekeeper you must 
remember that this stick-end roasting is a 
mighty toothsome recipe for cooking beef. 

The prisoners have been far more cheerful 
than we have been, for they have not only had 
strong hope of being retaken by their own 
arms within a few days but their army has 
gained a great victory, and though dearly 
bought, it has, I fear, decided the fate of our 

JIO 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

new-born nation. The cannonading on the 
second morning, the shells from which we 
could clearly see bursting somewhere in the 
vicinity of the Monterey House and which we 
learned were from Kilpatrick's artillery, en- 
deavoring to cut off our trains and prevent 
our retreat, gave the prisoners double assur- 
ance of release. Their hope of rescue being 
deferred at Monterey Springs, I instructed my 
Inspector-General to parole the officers and 
give them safeguard to return, binding them 
to render themselves prisoners of war at Rich- 
mond if they were not duly recognized by their 
government. Unfortunately, I was not per- 
mitted to release them at this point and they 
were required to march with the rest of the 
prisoners. 

A Colonel of a Maine regiment. Colonel 
Tilden, a splendid, gallant fellow, so appre- 
ciative, too, of the very few small courtesies 
which it has been possible to show him, asked 
that I cancel their paroles, the main object of 
which had been to avoid the terrors of the 
march, which I, in honor, did of course. 

Late in the evening after another trying 
day's march we passed Waynesboro and, with 



III 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

a rest of only an hour or so, marched all 
night. At nine o'clock the following morn- 
ing we reached Hagerstown but hurried on 
through to Williamsport. All along the road 
from Hagerstown to Williamsport were grue- 
some evidences of Kilpatrick's dash into 
Hagerstown — here a dead cavalryman, there 
a broken caisson, a dead horse. I ought not 
to let your beautiful eyes see through mine all 
these horrors, but some day, my darling, some 
day we'll strew roses and violets and lilies 
over them all, even over the memories of 
them. We'll listen to the resurrection that 
hope and faith and love voice in all the songs 
of nature. It will not be long, darling, for 
to-day the official news of the surrender of 
Vicksburg reached us. The tidings brought 
cheers from the prisoners and increased the 
sullen gloom of their guard. 

I am directed to turn the prisoners over to 
General Imboden's command, who is to es- 
cort them to Staunton. Their final destina- 
tion will, I suppose, be the old nine-room 
brick warehouse on Carey Street in Rich- 
mond, **Libby & Sons — Ship Chandlers and 
Grocers" — a sign which I remember as a boy 

112 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

and associate with ''Cat" and "Truant" and 
other boyish games. Always I shall like to 
remember it as a place to play, and not think 
of it as a living tomb. There will not, I fear, 
be many of my fellow-sufferers of the last few 
days who enter these awesome walls who will 
ever come forth alive. 

The Potomac was so swollen by the rains 
which began on the fourth and still continue, 
that it was impossible to cross it at any of the 
neighboring fords. A rope ferry, the only 
means of crossing, made it slow and tedious, 
and every minute's delay, my darling, seems 
centuries when I am on my way to you — to 
you. 

Jackerie has waited so long for my post- 
script that he has gone to sleep and I have 
now not time to write it, but you will know 
that the most important thing is in the P. S. 
and this is love, — the love of 

Your adoring 

Soldier. 

On the March, July I2, 1863. 



113 



PART THREE 




Wedding Bells that 
Rang in the Wilderness 



115 



TJTITH the return of the army to Vir- 
yy ginia, after the tragic defeat at 
Gettysburg, began the slow ebb of the 
tide that had carried the hopes of the 
Confederacy so high. It was in this crisis 
nvhen he ivas back in his ivar-ivasted 
state, fighting despondency and needing, 
as never before, the love and devotion of 
a ivife that General Pickett determined to 
ivait no longer but to marry his sweet- 
heart at once. As he could not go to her 
she crossed the enemy's lines and joined 
him at Petersburg, where they were made 
one. 

Soon after their marriage came the in- 
evitable orders to march and the General 
and his bride were separated for wieeks 
at a time. But his letters brought to her 
constant cheer and the promise, oft re- 
peated, to come back to her in spite of 
the dangers besetting him. That he did 
so, ivas due certainly to some kind for- 
tune that guarded him, since the deeds of 
daring which he performed at the head 
of his division became a tradition in the 
Army. 



XXIII 
In Which the General Issues An Order 

OLD Peter is to go to Tennessee to reen- 
force Bragg. He has placed his plans 
before the Secretary of War. 

Now, my darling, I have just had a long 
powwow with him (Old Peter) who, "old 
war-horse" as he is, has been in love himself, 
is still in love, will always be in love, and 
knows of our love — of our plighted troth — 
and knowing it, tells me it is his purpose to 
take me with him on this proposed expedi- 
tion. 

Now, my Sally, your Soldier is a soldier, 
and never, even to himself, questions an order. 
"His not to reason why." Darling, do you 
know what this means? Why, my little one, 
it means that you haven't one moment's res- 
pite. It means that you are to be Mrs. Gen- 
eral George Pickett, my precious wife, right 
away. It means that you are to fulfill your 
117 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

promise to "come to me at a moment's notice." 
Yours, too, now, "not to reason why," but to 
obey and come at once. We cannot brook 
any delay, my darling; so pack up your knap- 
sack — never mind the rations and the ammu- 
nition, but come. My Aunt Olivia, with 
Uncle Andrew, one of my staff and one of my 
couriers will meet you and your dear parents 
on this side of the Black Water and will escort 
you to Petersburg, where I shall be waiting 
at the train to meet you. I shall see you all 
to the hotel, where you will wait while your 
father, Bright and I get the license and make 
other necessary arrangements for our imme- 
diate marriage, which I have planned to take 
place sine die at St. Paul's Church. Our 
old friend, Doctor Piatt, will pronounce 
the words that make us one in the sight of the 
world. From the church, we will go to the 
depot, where a special train, having been ar- 
ranged for us by our friend, Mr. Reuben 
Raglan, God bless him, will take us over to 
Richmond, where my little sister is waiting 
longingly to love and welcome my wife — her 
new sister. 

My darling will realize how impossible it 

ii8 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

is for her Soldier to consult with her and 
will forgive his bungling and awkwardness. 
Never mind, after this she shall do all the 
planning. Oh, what a heaven on earth is be- 
fore us — if only this cruel war were over! A 
Dios. Forgive this business letter. Courier 
awaits. You will come; I have no fear. 

Forever your 

Soldier. 

Headquarters, Sept. ij, i86j. 



119 



XXIV 

Written After Their Marriage, on an Expe- 
dition Into North Carolina 

IT seems an age, my darling, since we rode 
away, leaving you and Mrs. Ransom ^ 
standing in that wonderful grove of maiden 
trees. I veil the annoying, disappointing 
scenes since then and see again the beautiful 
picture of my own bride, clothed in white, in 
the greenery with the "grandfather squirrels" 
playing all around her, climbing over her and 
eating from her dainty, graceful hands. 
"Mine — mine — all my own!" I said, invoking 
our Father's care of you. Oh, my love, all 
my happiness is in your hands, and as you love 
me, guard your precious self from all harm. 
I have you on my heart all the day. 

Ransom sent on our letters from Kingston, 
yia the Ugr.^ I hope they reached you safely. 

1 Wife of General Ransom. 

2 Underground railway. 

J20 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

Old Floyd ^ sent a most mysterious looking 
package to you and Mrs. Ransom, which he 
said you must both thank St. Paul for. In 
Floyd's opinion, St. Paul has as much to an- 
swer for as the great Apostle for whom he is 
named. Certainly in appearance he is as in- 
significant looking as a horse as St. Paul has 
been described as a man, and while he has not 
had one, much less five, shipwrecks, he has 
had all manner of hairbreadth escapes, hard- 
ships, indignities and a million times more 
stripes, all of which he has borne with Chris- 
tian resignation and endurance. 

Well, dearest, my name is George and my 
patience and temper accord with the name. 
Our well-formed plans for the capture of 
Newbern miscarried. Hoke's, Clingman's and 
Corse's Brigades and Reid's Artillery under 
my command were to make a feint — to 
threaten on the south side of the Neuse River. 
Dearing's Cavalry and three regiments of in- 
fantry under Dearing were to make a demon- 
stration on the north side of the Neuse. Ran- 
som, Barton, and Terry under Barton were to 
make the real attack, while we created a diver- 

3 Headquarters Sutler. 
121 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

sion and drew off the enemy. Simultaneously 
with our movements Colonel R. Taylor Wood 
was to take a naval force in small boats, make 
a night excursion down the Neuse and attack 
the gunboats. The soldiers were all jubilant, 
buoyant and hopeful. Everything was propi- 
tious ; victory seemed sure. General Bearing's 
feint was successful. Hoke and Corse and 
Clingman crossed over, taking all the defenses 
and outworks in front. Wood's attack was a 
complete surprise, capturing a gunboat right 
under the guns of the fort; but, alas, the real 
attack by Barton was not made. We waited 
in deathlike suspense. Hour after hour of 
restless anxiety and impatience went by and 
yet no sound of a gun — and no message came 
to tell me why. The torture and suspense 
were unbearable. Newbern was ours — ours 
if — Well — hope died out and the dejection 
and despair of the men with their hopes 
dashed cannot be told. 

As ever, 

Your Soldier. 



J22 



XXV 

From the Lines Near Petersburg, Va. 

YOUR Soldier breathes easier this morn- 
ing, my darling. A great load is lifted. 
Haygood's brave South Carolina Brigade 
came in yesterday, thank God, and I stationed 
them at Port Walthall Junction. This will 
keep the connection between Petersburg and 
Richmond open. Wise's Brigade got in to- 
day and was sent out toward City Point. 

For nights I have not closed my eyes. 
How could I, with a whole city full of help- 
less, defenseless women and children at the 
mercy of an oncoming army? Butler's whole 
force, in transports protected by his gunboats, 
landed at City Point and Bermuda Hundred, 
and no army here to meet them ! Not enough 
soldiers, boys and old men all put together, 
even for picket duty! 

Come to think of it, my prettice, you must 
have been up all night to have made up and 
123 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

sent out such a basket of goodies, and baked 
and buttered such a lot of biscuits, and made 
so many jugs of coffee as came this morning. 
My, I tell you it all tasted good, and the 
coffee — well, no Mocha or Java ever tasted 
half so good as this rye-sweet-potato blend! 
And think of your thoughtfulness in wrapping 
blankets around the jugs to keep the coffee 
hot. Bless your thoughtful heart! You are, 
without doubt, the dearest, most indefatigable 
little piece of perfection that ever rode a 
horse or buttered a biscuit or plucked a flower 
or ever did anything else, as to that. Then 
those hyacinths and geranium leaves! Who 
else in all this nerve-racking, starving, perilous 
time would have thought of gathering flowers? 
My nigger. Bob, the loyal but unappreciative 
scamp, apologetically took out the baskets, 
which were apparently filled with the yet dew- 
kissed fragrant flowers, and said: 

''Miss Sallie, Marse George, de Mistis, 
done en sont you all dese yer endoubled 
hyacinfs. En I axed her huccome she sont 
'em; but she didn't say. So ef you all don't 
lak 'em you-all mus' 'scuse her fer it en put 
all de blame 'pon me. En anyhow, Marse 

124 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

George, ef you cyan't eat dese hyacinfses ner 
w'ar 'em ner shoot de Yankees wid' em, dey 
suttinly does smell good and dey she' is 
pretty." 

Mrs. Stratton and Mrs. Johnson sent out 
large hampers, too, to us. They came just 
after we had finished with your baskets, and 
we passed them on to others. 

And now, my darling, what on earth did you 
mean by saying, ''Never mind," as you said 
good-by and rode away yesterday. It troubled 
me all night. I wanted to follow after you and 
ask you what you meant, but couldn't. I 
would have jumped on Lucy and ridden in to 
Petersburg and found out if it had been pos- 
sible for me to leave. I was so troubled about 
it that I was almost tempted to come in any- 
how. For the life of me, little one, I couldn't 
think of any reason why you should say, 
"Never mind," to me. Were you aggrieved 
because your blundering old Soldier told you 
there was no necessity for your coming out to 
bring the dispatches, any longer; that, thank 
heaven, the recruits and reenforcements were 
coming in now, and that we could manage 
all right? I did not mean to hurl you, dear. 
125 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

I hoped you'd send a line by Bob telling me 
what you meant and why you had said it, but 
when I asked him if you had written, he said: 

"Yes, Suh, Marse George, 'course de mistis 
is done en writ a letter er a answer er sumpin' ; 
but ef she did done it, den I mus' er forgot 
ter fotch it, bein' ez I wuz in sich a hurry ter 
git yere in time dis mornin' wid de baskets, en 
startin' befo' daybre'k. En den dis ebenin' a 
gettin' de basket en papers en milk en things 
ready in sich a hurry agin, I mus' er forgot de 
letter agin." 

Now, please, my darling, send Bob back 
right away with a nice letter and tell your 
Soldier that you did not mean anything by say- 
ing, "Never mind," to him, for he loves you 
with all his heart and would not wound or dis- 
appoint or offend you for anything in the 
world. 

Your Soldier. 

On the Linesj May y, 1864. 



126 



XXVI 
In the Wilderness Before Cold Harbor 

BAIRD has just come in from the lines, 
my darling wife, and reports that all is 
well. I came in about eleven and was lying 
in my tent all alone, thinking of you, and 
while I builded wonderful castles I was sere- 
nading you with the songs I love. 

I think I had finished all the songs I had 
ever sung to you, and when Baird came in my 
thoughts had wandered to the Salmon-IUahie 
and I was singing Anne Boleyn's song, "Oh 
Death, Rock Me Asleep," which was taught 
me by my friend. Captain G. P. Hornby, of 
Her Majesty's ship Tribune, away out in San 
Juan Island on the Pacific Coast in 1859. I 
do not know why I was singing this song, ex- 
cept that it is beautiful and one of the finest 
and sweetest of melodies. Both the air and 
words were written by poor, unfortunate 
Anne Boleyn. I know but one verse— if 
J27 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

Hornby ever knew other verses he had for- 
gotten them — but the one I know is appeal- 
ing. I will write it for you, if I may: 

"Oh, Death, rock me asleep ! Bring me to quiet and rest ; 
Let pass my weary, guiltless life out of my careful breast ; 
Toll on the passing bell, ring out my doleful knell; 
Let thy sound my death tell. Death doth draw me. 
Death doth draw me. There is no remedy." 

Baird stopped outside and listened and then 
came in, asking permission to order Bob to 
light the dips, and saying, "Please, Sir, Marse 
George, when you sing that song I haven't got 
a friend in the world. I'm lonesome and feel 
creeps and see spooks and, what's worse, I 
don't know whether I am Anne Boleyn her- 
self, or am myself responsible for all poor 
Anne's sorrows and death." 

So I stopped singing and am writing to tell 
you a great secret, which is — I love you. 
Some day when we are happy — so happy that 
nothing could make us any happier — I'll sing 
this song to you. 

Last night there was a night attack. Sev- 
eral of the men were wounded slightly; but 
the face of one — perhaps seriously wounded — 

128 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

haunts me. He is a boy with golden brown 
curls — somebody's darling. To-night, we 
made a capture of the Federal pickets, sweep- 
ing their rifle-pits for more than a hundred 
yards and taking a hundred and thirty-six 
prisoners. You know our lines are so close 
together in many places that we, the Yankees 
and my men, can with voices raised carry on 
a conversation. 

War and its horrors, and yet I sing and 
whistle. Oh, my sweetheart, if only this 
wicked war were over so that we could in 
peace and quiet tranquilly finish the book of 
Love which we have but just begun. 

Adios now. I see old Jackerie in the flap 
with his pack and bag, his wonted grace and 
patience, his dolce-far-niente eyes and soft, 
southern Italian voice, saying, "No huUa-non- 
enty." But I must hurry, for he starts at day- 
break and it is now past midnight. 

Lovingly now and forever, 

Your Soldier. 

In Camp, June, 1864. 



tSQ 



XXVII 
Recalling a Visit from '^Old Jack" 

HERE we are still, my darling. My 
division is stationed with the rest of the 
First Corps between new and old Cold Har- 
bor. Old Peter, having been wounded in the 
Wilderness, Anderson has been put in com- 
mand of the First Corps. Grant has been ap- 
pointed Lieutenant General and has arrived 
at nearly the same point in his march down 
the river that McClellan reached in his up- 
ward progress in '62. Over a crimson road 
both armies have returned to Cold Harbor. 
The Wilderness, alas, is one vast graveyard 
where sleep thousands of Grant's soldiers; but 
Grant, like our Stonewall, is "fighting not to 
save lives, but country." 1 

For the second time now Cold Harbor has 
become a battle-ground. Two years ago it 
furnished the field for the battle of Gaines's 
Mill (which the Yankees called Cold Har- 
bor) where your Soldier was wounded. Does 

130 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

it seem to you as long ago as two years, my 
darling? To me, it seems but yesterday that 
I lay in Richmond at my little sister's and you 
came to see me, blessing and cheering me. I 
can feel now the soft touch of your little white 
hands, as you gently stroked and soothed my 
wounded shoulder and swollen arm and hand. 
Do you remember one afternoon while you 
were reading from Moore's melodies (not that 
I heard or took in the meaning of a single word 
of them, for I only heard the music of your 
wonderful voice and saw the long, dark lashes 
caressing the words which those cupid-shaped 
cherry lips were uttering) that our dear old 
Stonewall was announced? Of course I knew 
his calling was out of the usual, and I was 
honored and gratified by his coming; but any 
guest was unwelcome if I had to share with 
him my darling. I remember that you 
marked the place you were reading with your 
dainty, scented handkerchief, which I stole 
and still have. You and my sister were about 
to withdraw; but both the General and I 
urged you to remain. I shall always hold 
sacred "Old Jack's" visit and remember its 
every detail. 

131 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

Do you recall how indignant our maid- 
servant was at what she supposed a reflection 
upon the mint-juleps she was serving? You 
remember the uncompromising, stern old 
Puritan declined, saying, "Take that liquor 
away. I never touch strong drink. I like it 
too well to fool with it, and no man's strength 
is strong enough to touch that stuff with im- 
punity." You remember how, though she 
politely curtsied, poor Julie, humbly but 
vigorously defending her juleps, replied, 
" 'Scuse me, Marse Gen'ul Jackson, but dese 
yer drams ain't got no impunities in 'em, Suh. 
Nor, Suh. Braxton done en mek 'em out'n 
we-all's ve'y bes' old London Dock brandy 
out'n one of we-all's cobweb bottles." 

Old Jackerie brought me your letter on the 
first, just after the Yankees' attack on Hoke 
and Kershaw, breaking their outer lines. 
That night Grant transferred his right to a 
point beyond Cold Harbor. On the afternoon 
of the second Marse Robert ordered an assault 
on Grant's right; but old Jubal found it in- 
vincible and went to work erecting defenses. 
I believe it was old Jube who gave Marse 
Robert the title of "Old-Spades-Lee," or "Old 

132 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

Ace of Spades," because of his incessant activ- 
ity in throwing up defenses, trenches, breast- 
works, etc. This morning Grant made an as- 
sault along the entire six miles of our line, and 
our guns opened a counter attack, followed by 
advance skirmishes of my division. The 
whole Confederate line poured a stream of 
fire, and thousands of Grant's soldiers have 
gone to reenforce the army of the dead. 

Oh, this is all a weary, long mistake. May 
the merciful and true God wield power to end 
it ere another day passes! 

Your Soldier. 

Cold Harbor, June 3, 1864. 



133 



XXVIII 

After General Lee Had Congratulated His 
Division for Gallantry 

OUTSIDE, my darling, the band has been 
playing the songs that we love, and in- 
side I have been softly singing them all to 
you, to your spirit far away. Now they have 
wound up with ''Alice, Where Art Thou?" 
which might have set me wondering if it had 
not been the hour we each seek to be alone that 
we may bring our souls in touch. So I knew 
that thou wert with me. 

This morning Tom Friend brought me a 
weesome package of tea, which he wishes sent 
to you. ''One of the men," he said, "swapped 
his tobacco for it." If the whole universe 
were mine, I'd lay it at your feet, for love has 
builded in my heart three altars for thy wor- 
ship — one to Faith, one to Hope, one to Serv- 
ice — and you, my Goddess whom I worship, 
must feed my faith, illumine my hope and 
command my service. 

134 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

This morning, for reasons which you will 
presently note, I was thinking of our ever 
memorable ride from Petersburg. Its anxie- 
ties and pleasures, your indomitable pluck and 
merry laughter on that day pass before me, 
making me shudder with fear or thrill with 
happiness. It was on your birthday, you re- 
member, and Beauregard had been forced' to 
leave his intrenchments at early daylight, and 
Butler had walked into them and had suc- 
ceeded in reaching the Richmond and Peters- 
burg Railroad and was destroying the track 
when the advance guard of my division ran 
him ofif. I had left you in the rear and had 
gone on about a quarter of a mile in advance 
of my division and was riding quietly along 
with the members of my stafif and General R. 
H. Anderson, who was then commanding the 
corps. We were some ten miles or so from 
Petersburg when we were ambushed and fired 
into by a portion of Butler's troops. Hun- 
ton's Brigade was followed up by my other 
brigades, and we drove the enemy back to- 
ward Bermuda Hundred, where they were 
stopped by my men who retook the whole line. 

This gallant and unexpected action so 
135 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

pleased Marse Robert that he yesterday had 
published the inclosed notice, which I send 
you that you may be reminded of my glorious, 
fearless men who yet survived that awful third 
of July where so many of their comrades were 
left to sleep. The line of breastworks which 
they took and to which Marse Robert refers in 
the notice inclosed is most important, as the 
main line of defense between Richmond and 
Petersburg and opposing any advance of the 
enemy upon the peninsula of Bermuda Hun- 
dred. 

Now my darling sees why I am thinking of 
that 1 6th of May. It was because she, though 
Marse Robert doesn't know it, comes in for 
a share of his praise. I am thinking of you 
every minute and wish that I could ride in, if 
only for an hour between sundown and mid- 
night, to see you; but, to use Mr. Lincoln's 
expressive words, Grant is so "infernally 
interruptious" that I am afraid to take the 
risk. 

Now, my strayed angel of the skies, don't 
be disappointed. I love you. Good night. 
May all blessings bless you, all sunshine shine 
for you, all angels guard you, all that is good 

136 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

take care of you and all heaven help me to be 
worthy of you. 

Forever and ever 

Your Soldier. 

Headquarters, June i8, 1864. 

Clay^s House, 5:30 P. M., June ij, 1864. 
Lieutenant-General R. H. Anderson, 

Commanding Longstreet's Corps. 
General : 

I take great pleasure in presenting to you my congratu- 
lations upon the conduct of the men of your corps. I be- 
lieve they will carry anything they are put against. We 
tried very hard to stop Pickett's men from capturing the 
breastworks of the enemy, but could not do it. I hope 
his loss has been small. 

I am, with respect, your obedient servant, 

R. E. Lee, General. 



137 



XXIX 

When Butler Burned the General's Old Home 

WAS my letter of yesterday strenuous? 
Well, it was a strenuous day, full of 
rumors and contradictions. And yet in spite 
of it I managed to sandwich in between the 
shelling and the movement of the fleet and 
the distinguished visitors the ever new and 
true story of my love. But I had only time 
to make the bare announcement at the close of 
that letter that Butler had burned our home 
the day before. If it had been burned in line 
of battle, it would have been all right; but it 
was not. It was burned by Butler at a great 
expense to the Government and in revenge 
for having been outgeneraled by a little hand- 
ful of my men at Petersburg and for Grant's 
telegram to Mr. Lincoln, saying, "Pickett has 
bottled up Butler at Petersburg." 

Mr. Sims, who has been our overseer ever 
since I can remember, came up from Turkey 

13S 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

Island this morning to tell me all about it. 
The poor old fellow loved the old place and is 
heartbroken over its destruction. He says 
they first looted the house and then shelled and 
burned it, together with the barn and stables. 
He is very bitter and vindictive and vows all, 
manner of eternal vengeance. The poor old 
chap is sensitive because I did not rave and 
rage with him, and resents what he considers 
my indifference. He gave me the benefit of 
all the swear words in his vocabulary when I 
tried to make him understand that there are 
weightier things and subjects of greater mo- 
ment than the mere loss of personal property. 
"'Personal property!'" he quoted indig- 
nantly. "Why, Turkey Island was your ma's 
and pa's and their ma's and pa's before 'em. 
Think of them big oaks, them maiden trees, 
the river and everything! Think of all the 
big men that's set 'round that old mahogany 
table and jingled their glasses at that big old 
sideboard! 'Personal property!' Why, when 
you was just a turning six your pa and me 
showed you the very halting place whar in 
January, 1781, that traitor, Benedict Arnold, 
stopped on his march to Richmond after he 
139 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

had come up with the fleet at Jamestown and 
then went on to Westover. 'Personal prop- 
erty!' Why, I remember the very day we sot 
you up in the crotch of that great old oak 
tree under which Governor Jefferson and Mr. 
Edmund Randolph 'lighted from their fillies 
and tied them to one of the limbs till they 
could walk a piece and see for themselves that 
old monument put up in 171 1, eleven years be- 
fore that time, to show how much devilment 
a river could do if it had the elements to help 
it. 'Personal property I' Why, Sir, there 
wan't a picture or a piece of furniture or a 
statuary in that old home that wan't only sea- 
soned with age, but had a store of valuableness 
to it besides, and you passive and peaceable, 
taking the news all quiet as if it had been noth- 
ing but a fence rail burnt up, and telling me 
to my face, and me a-bustin' out with damna- 
tion from every pore, that you had heard of 
the fire, that Mr. Enroughty had reported the 
burning of Turkey Island yesterday! 'Re- 
ported!' 'Personal property!' I wonder if a 
man's soul is personal property. Well, if it is 
and Mr. Satan should ever report to me that 
he wanted any help to keep up his fire to burn 

J40 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

Mr. Butler's, or any of his kind of personal 
property, he would know where to get it!" 

Poor Mr. Sims I I've sent him with one of 
my couriers to find some of his friends in the 
trenches, where I hope he will work off some 
of his wrath over Butler and his kind and my 
unfortunate phrase "personal property." Of 
course you know, my darling, that I am not un- 
mindful of the sacredness of the old home and 
that I grieve that it has been destroyed, but we 
will build us another home, won't we? The 
river is there, and some of the old trees are left. 
And if God should bless us with a son I shall, 
when he is as old as I was then, take him under 
this same old historic tree that Mr. Sims speaks 
of and tell him in the very language of my 
father some of the old stories he used to tell 
me, and introduce him to the great men of 
those days as my father made me acquainted 
with them. I can hear him now say: 

"My son, there was Madison, a very, very 
small man with introverted eyes and ample 
forehead. He dressed always in a surtout of 
brown, which was generally dusty and oftener 
than otherwise faded and shabby. Judge 
Marshall was very tall and commanding and 
141 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

revolutionary and patriarchal in appearance. 
He had fine expressive eyes and dressed al- 
ways in a well-fitting surtout of blue. Mr. 
John Randolph was puny and frail and most 
uncommon looking. He was swarthy and 
wrinkled, with eyes as brilliant as stars of the 
first magnitude. Watkins Leigh was un- 
usually distinguished in appearance. Taze- 
well was tall and fine looking; but Mr. Mon- 
roe was very wrinkled and weather-beaten and 
so exceedingly awkward that he stumbled 
over his own feet and walked on everyone 
else's. Governor Giles used a crutch always 
and talked like molasses in July." 

My father never used made-up words or a 
children's vocabulary in describing to me men 
and events. He would say, "Words are 
things, my son. I want you to know them and 
not be like the British officer who, when he 
and some of his command were taken pris- 
oners and were told by their captors that they 
were to be paroled, demanded in great terror 
and consternation, "Pray, what kind of death 
is that?' " 

Oh, my Sally, I dream of the happy days 
when you will be the fair mistress of Turkey 

142 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

Island, under those old trees, with the James 
River always before us and love always with 
us. As the sun in the firmament, so is love 
in the world — love, the life of the spirit, the 
root of every virtuous action. It enhanceth 
prosperity, easeth adversity and maketh of 
the slightest twist a Gordian knot. It gives 
vigor to the atmosphere, fragrance to the 
flower, color to the rainbow, zest to life, music 
to laughter, and oh, such laughter as yours, 
my own, my beautiful. I love you with all 
my heart and soul and mind and being. 
A Dios. Keep this love close. 

Your Soldier. 

Headquarters, June — , 1864. 



143 



PART FOUR 




In the Shadow of 
the End 



^T^HE long struggle between the states 
J- laas noiv drawing to a close. The 
South, depleted in men and resources, 
awaited in grim despair the failure of its 
hopes. Gloom and disappointment settled 
down upon all, men and officers alike, but 
to General Pickett there came a gleam of 
happiness in the birth of his son. The 
event was one that was hailed with re- 
joicing on both sides of the battle lines — 
for the contending armies luere but paces 
apart. Grant and his staff sent a birth- 
day greeting to the "Little General," as 
the boy was dubbed immediately, and 
though the armies met again in conflict 
the incident served to lessen the feeling 
that had existed between them. A brief 
nine months later, Pickett wrote: "Peace 
is born." 



XXX 

upon Hearing of the Birth of the '^Little 
General" 

GOD bless you, little Mother of our boy — 
bless and keep you. Heaven in all its 
glory shine upon you; Eden's flowers bloom 
eternal for you. Almost with every breath 
since the message came, relieving my anxiety 
and telling me that my darling lived and that 
a little baby had been born to us, I have been 
a baby myself. Though I have known all 
these months that from across Love's en- 
chanted land this little child was on its way 
to our twin souls, now that God's promise is 
fulfilled and it has come, I can't believe it. 
As I think of it I feel the stir of Paradise in 
my senses, and my spirit goes up in thankful- 
ness to God for this, His highest and best — 
the one perfect flower in the garden of life — 
Love. 

Blinding tears rolled down my cheeks, my 
147 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

sweetheart, as I read the glad tidings. And 
a feeling so new, so strange, came over me 
that I asked of the angels what it could be 
and whence came the strains of celestial music 
which filled my soul, and what were the great, 
grand, stirring hosannas and the soft, tender, 
sweet adagios that circled round and round, 
warmed my every vein, beat in my every pulse. 
And — oh, little Mother of my boy — the echo- 
ing answer came — "A little baby has been 
born to you, and he and the new-born Mother 
live." 

I wanted to fly to you both, kneel by your 
bedside, take your hand and his little hand 
in mine and lift our hearts in thankfulness to 
the Heavenly Throne. But when I applied 
to the great Tyee for a pass to Richmond, say- 
ing, *'My son was born this morning," he 
replied, "Your country was born almost a hun- 
dred years ago." It was the first word of 
reproach Marse Robert ever spoke to me; but 
he was right and I was reckless to ask. 

Things may be quieter to-morrow, sweet- 
heart, perhaps even to-night, and I may be 
able to come in for an hour. I must not write 
another word, though I want to write on and 

148 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

on and send messages and kisses to the little 
baby and to caution its Mother to be careful 
and to tell her she is ten thousand times more 
precious than ever, but I must not. 

Lovingly and forever and ever 

Your Soldier. 

July ly, 1864 — Our boy's birthday. 
Blessed Day. 



149 



XXXI 

A Second Letter on His Son's Birthday. 

GOD has heard our prayers, my beloved 
wife. Oh, the ecstatic pleasure I felt 
when Charles brought the Doctor's letter. 
Precious one, you must obey every injunction 
of our dear Aunt. Do not think of writing or 
exerting yourself in any way. She knows all 
about what should be done. I am coming to 
you this evening, should General Lee say so, 
and he will, for I have sent Bright post haste 
to him, telling him of the glory of the Star in 
the East. 

Oh, my pretty wife! I long to see you and 
your little son — Our son! Little new-born 
mother, I have humbly thanked God for His 
great and bounteous goodness ; every breath I 
breathe is one of gratitude to Him for spar- 
ing you to me and giving us a son — thou Life 
of my soul. Ever and forever 

Your Devoted Soldier. 

Sunday, jyth July, 
Blessed Day! 

ISO 



XXXII 

On the Occasion of His First Visit to His Boy 

MY men had all heard of the arrival of the 
"Little General," as they call him, and 
when I was riding out of camp last night to 
surrender to him, I noticed the bonfires which 
were being kindled all along my lines and 
knew that my loyal, loving men were light- 
ing them in honor of my baby. But I did not 
know till this morning that dear old Ingalls, 
at Grant's suggestion, had kindled a light on 
the other side of the lines, too, and I was over- 
come with emotion when I learned of it. To- 
day their note of congratulation, marked un- 
official, which I inclose, came to me through 
the lines. You must keep it for the baby, with 
the pass and note of Marse Robert which I 
put into its little clenched hand. 

''Babyl" Can it be true, my darling? 
Heaven knows no deeper devotion, no deeper 
gratitude, than that which filled my heart 
when I realized that the golden dream of life 
151 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

had come to pass — was true; when I looked 
upon the sweet, shy face of my girl bride 
and saw it transformed into the sacred tender- 
ness of motherhood, saw the grace and charm, 
the soul-born protecting look in the mother 
eyes, the lilied sweetness of her face, the smile 
of unlanguaged mystery, with a gentleness and 
patience as sweet and meek as Mother Mary 
wore. I knew it was the Alpha and Omega 
of Heaven. 

I see still the moss rose bud left by the 
Blumen-Engel as a bescheidenen Schmuck of 
his love nestling in your snow-white arms and 
the long, dark lashes kissing your cheeks as 
you look down upon it. I still feel the mystic 
power of the grasp of its tiny rose leaf fingers 
clutched around my own. 

But I must not write another word — not 
one. Lovingly, 

Your Soldier. 

In Camp, July ig, 1864. 

To George Pickett: 

We are sending congratulations to you, to the young 
mother and the young recruit. 

Grant, Ingalls, Suckley. 
July l8j 1864. 

152 



XXXIII 

upon Returning from a Ride With Marse 
Robert 

I HAVE but a few moments since, my 
pretty one, returned from a ride with the 
Tyee up one hill and down the other. The 
enemy occupied Dutch Gap last evening. 
This is higher up the river than I am and I 
had expected the Navy to take care of our rear 
but they have allowed them to come in, and 
now I have to stretch out my India rubber 
division. 

Well, my pet, I have to do it. The General 
did not seem in a remarkably good humor — 
with the news from Mobile and Bradley, 
Johnson in the valley, and this impudence of 
the Yankees in crawling up behind us. 

I am so glad, my own, that you are better — 
thank the good God for it. Blair says you 
must not keep the baby in your arms so much, 
that you are acting mother and nurse both. 
153 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

Please listen to the doctor this time, and to 
your husband's pleading. Blair says that his 
indisposition is nothing but the colic, and that 
you must not make yourself uneasy about the 
little fellow. You must make Lucinda nurse 
him more. 

I send you a chicken, a cup of salt, likewise 
an apple — one single one. Your friend, Miss 
Gamble, radiant with a white frock and smiles, 
sent it to me {didn't give it) with her compli- 
ments last night. 

Bye-bye, Sweet One. 

Ever your own 

Soldier. 

Headquarters, August — , 1S64. 



J54 



XXXIV 

Concerning the Gossip of His Servant, George 

I LEFT you yesterday, my darling, "with 
many a pause and longing glance be- 
hind"; but out in the midst of this terrible 
conflict to which I have come, your love is 
with me, shielding and blessing me. 

I reached camp just before daybreak. 
George hustled around and made me a pot 
of "sho'nough cofifee wid no debultrement in 
it." And while I drank my coffee he kept off 
the flies — which, early as it was, had begun 
to be very sociable — entertaining me the while 
with news of the camp and his own views on 
current events. 

"You know, Marse George," he began, "po' 
Robert, Marse Jefferson Davis' mos' betrusted 
servant, is done en bruck out thick all ober wid 
de smallpox, en dar ain' no tellin' how many 
er de President's friends en 'quaintances po' 
Robert is done en kernockulated wid it, kaze 
155 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

po' Robert wuz moughty sociable and 
familious wid all de President's friends. I 
suttinly hopes dat you en Gen'l Lee en Gen'l 
Heth is gwine ter 'scape. I wuz so upsot, 
Marse George, by dis news 'bout po' Robert 
dat I couldn't sleep, en I got out behime de 
tent en listened ter de officers a talkin' wid 
dar moufs en gesticulatin' 'bout de way t'ings 
wuz gwine. 

'^Some er 'em said how ef Marse Albert 
Sydney Johnston hadn't been kilt at Shiloh, 
en ef Marse Joe Johnston hadn't been 
wounded at Seben Pines, en ef you had been 
s'ported at Gettysburg, dat t'ings wouldn't be 
lak dey wuz now. Den one er de officers say, 
'Yes — yes, en ef all er dem folks down dar in 
New 'Leans dat commit suicide wid darse'fs, 
'count er ole Butler's pusecution en hangin's 
en yuther devilments, had er kilt him fust fo' 
dey kilt deyse'fs dey'd er had sumpin ter die 
fer, en de ole rascal wouldn't be down here 
now adiggin' dis Dutch-Gap-Canal en givin 
ev'body ague en fever turnin' up de earfl' 
Den one er de preacher officers say, Well, my 
frien's, de trouble is, we all don' pray enough!' 
Marse Charley spuck up en say, 'Didn't Gen'l 

156 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

Jackson pray enough fer us all, Colonel?' 
Nur one say, *Yes, Charley, but he didn't dust 
his knees off when he wuz through. He for- 
got dat bein' clean wuz nex' ter being Godli- 
some.' Den a nur one say, 'Well, but dar's 
ole Gen'l Pemberton en Gen'l Kershaw. 
Dey wuz particular wid dar clothes en dey 
prayed all right.' Den Gen'l Corse he spuck 
up en say, 'Yes, but dey bofe think too much 
'bout dar 'pearance. Dey'd begin to dus' en 
dus' dar knees fo' dey said, "Amen." En dat 
showed dar hearts wan't in dar prayers.' 

"En gwine back, Marse George, ter dat 
Dutch-Gap-Canal, you know Colonel Mayo's 
nigger, Big Joe, en sebenteen mo' er de camp 
niggers is done en gone 'cross de river ter 
jine de Yankee Army en he'p de res' er dem 
Yankee-nigger soldiers ter dig dat canal ditch 
dey's diggin' er 'count er all dat extra 
money en extra drams en coffee en yuther 
extras Gen'l Butler promise ter give 'em. 
Now, Marse George, you know dat dat's 
projickin' wid de Lord's handy works, en 
sumpin mousterious en terrible is gwine ter 
happen ter dem niggers. Diggin' dat canal 
sho'ly is gwine ag'inst de judgment er de 
157 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

Lord, fer ef de Lord had er wanted de Jeemes 
River ter a jined on ter itse'f He'd a jined it. 
He wouldn't a put a little slice er land in be- 
twixt. En sho's you're bawn projickin' wid 
de Lord's work en unj'inin' whut He's j'ined 
tergedder ain' a gwine ter bring dem niggers 
no proskerity." 

Having finished my breakfast George went 
out to get breakfast for the mess, and before 
they had assembled I had cleared ofif my desk 
and written several letters. All made affec- 
tionate inquiries for you and our little son, 
though some of them did not know that I had 
ridden in last night until I told them. 

I must go now, my darling, and ride around 
the lines and make my report, but will add a 
few more words later on. So adios till then. 



Well, my darling, we have had a most ex- 
citing day. Marse Robert came out. He 
was restive and very, very silent. We had 
just paid our respects to Butler's diggers when 
he arrived. The device we used in so doing 
was a new one or rather a very old one newly 
revived. It was a mortar battery hidden in 

158 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

the bushes. It is invisible to the enemy and 
easily shifted from one hiding place to the 
other. It used to be the only way in which 
shells could be thrown. It throws these shells 
high in the air, and they fall by their own 
weight without the least warning of their 
coming. There is no screaming or squealing 
sound like that made by our modern shells. 
They fall almost as silently as a snowflake 
falls, and it seems to me almost barbarous to 
drop these silent, ghostly missiles down upon 
those light-hearted, happy-go-lucky negroes, 
for I learn that it is they that are doing the 
digging. Butler, with promise of extra pay 
for extra work and extra danger, has induced 
four hundred of the colored soldiers to vol- 
unteer to sheathe their swords and take up 
the shovel and go to digging. 

The bank to be cut through is only about 
five feet at the highest point. The canal is 
to be where the James makes a great bend just 
above Dutch Gap, inclosing a point of land 
perhaps half a mile wide and about three 
miles in length and which at the neck is only 
five hundred yards across from river to river. 
Their canal would thus save them six miles 
159 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

and would allow their gunboats to go up the 
James without running the gauntlet of our 
Howlett guns, our sunken torpedoes et cetera. 
And as our left is all at the turn of the bend, 
they would not have to traverse the open river 
in search of an exposed water channel. It is 
strange that some of our brilliant engineers 
haven't made this near cut years ago. As for 
me, I should encourage Butler and his River 
Improvement Company, and cease throwing 
these stealthy shells whose silent fall heralds a 
sudden roar of explosion that strikes terror 
to my soul. The canal will be an advantage 
to us, and Butler, in digging it for us, may in 
part atone for the many homes he has de- 
stroyed, mine among them. 

Well, my darling, if you were not the best 
of all good women, as well as the most beauti- 
ful of all beautiful women and the most pa- 
tient of all patient ones, you would weary of 
so tiresome a soldier, who takes away the 
fragrance of flowers and the glory of love 
and sends back the echo of war and its sorrows 
and the babble of a loyal old cook who 
wouldn't be sold and wouldn't run away and 
whom I was obliged to permit to be credited 

i6o 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

to me in order to save him — the only negro I 
own — but, come to think of it, he owns me. 
Forever and ever 

Your Soldier. 

In Camp, August — ^ 1864. 



161 



XXXV 

'After an Evening Spent at the "White House'* 
of the Confederacy 

YOU will be glad, my darling wife, that 
the "powwow" with "the Powers that 
be" was most satisfactory. 

After the evening consultation I called on 
the ladies at the "White House" and at the 
most earnest entreaty and solicitation of Mrs. 
Davis and her sister, Miss Howell, dined with 
them. Poor Mr. Davis looks tired and anx- 
ious, but he spoke so hopefully of our success 
that, knowing, as he must know, our status, 
the condition of our army, etc., I should have 
thought that he was aware of something hope- 
ful of which we are ignorant if he had not 
said later, when foreign intervention was 
being discussed, that he believed that England 
and, in fact, all the foreign powers were like 
the woman who saw her husband fighting a 
bear — she didn't care a continental which was 

j62 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

whipped, but she'd be the best pleased if both 
were. ''And my only hope of recognition," 
he said, "is that, being separated, we shall not 
be so formidable a power." 

The dinner, my dearest, was beautiful, and 
so abundant were its luxuries that I marveled 
greatly, knowing, as I do, how difficult it is 
with most of us to get even a little tea or coffee 
or salt. As usual, Mrs. Davis was vivacious 
and entertaining. She amusingly described 
her rescue of a little orphan negro from a 
"great black brute" who had constituted him- 
self the boy's guardian. She told how she 
had him washed and combed and dressed in a 
suit of little Joe's clothes, and how, while he 
was proud of the clothes, he was a thousand 
times prouder of, and more grateful for, the 
cuts and bruises which his self-appointed 
guardian had given him and which, upon all 
occasions, he triumphantly exhibited as 
medals of honor. She said that the little 
rascal was greatly troubled when the cuts were 
finally healed and tried to reopen them with a 
dog knife which was taken away. He was 
then reproved and forbidden to make over his 
wounds. 
163 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

"Oh, Lordy," he howled, "ef you-all teks 
my sores 'way fum me I won't hah nuttin' 'tall 
ter show ter all de comp'ny, en I won't hab a 
single thing ter mek 'em all sorry 'bout, en 
nuttin' ter mek 'em gib me no mo' things. 
Oh, Lordy, I'd ruther you'd all whop me dan 
notter let me hab my sores no mo.' " 

With her keen sense of humor Mrs. Davis 
told us how, when learning that one after an- 
other of her maids was being bribed by the 
Yankees with money and promises to betray the 
family and come over to the other side, she 
would pretend ignorance of the intention, give 
them food for imagination, reciting for their 
repetition the most impossible, outlandish 
stories, some of which she told us and which I 
will tell my darling when I come. Bless her! 
Mrs. Davis said that Betty, the last one of her 
maids to go, was such an excellent maid and 
so hard to replace that as soon as she began 
to show her prosperity, appearing with silks 
and jewels and then with gold and notes, she 
had tried, without letting Betty suspect her in- 
tention, to offer her inducements to remain, 
but had failed. Betty, she said, was superior 
to her class, however, and showed her con- 

164 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

sideration by offering Miss Howell part of 
the as yet unearned bribe, and assuring her 
that '^Ef eber I did git a chance ter tell dem 
dar Yankees 'bout dey-all I suttinly aren't 
gwine tell 'em none er de awful scand'lus 
things I en Mrs. Davis was all de time a doin' 
en dat dey all does. No, I am gwine ter mek 
de best er hit en leave outn de worse." 

Mrs. Davis said she was so depressed after 
[Betty's departure and in such dire need of 
mental soothing syrup that she went into re- 
tirement with "Adam Bede," "A Country 
Gentleman in Town" and "Elective Affini- 
ties." Did you ever, my darling! 

Mr. Judah P. Benjamin and Dr. Minne- 
gerode were the only other guests. Mr. Ben- 
jamin's usually wonderful, judicial mind and 
depressing dignity were not in evidence. He 
did rather reproachfully express his astonish- 
ment that Mr. Davis should be bowed down 
with grief at the adverse criticisms of those he 
was trying to serve, and that he should care a 
bauble for their accusations of nepotism and 
the more absurd charge of leaving his cotton 
to be bought by the Yankees. He ended by 
saying that he continually had to remind Mr. 
i6s 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

Davis of that exceedingly good man, Mr. 
Christ. You know Benjamin was born at St. 
Croix in the West Indies, of Jewish parents. 
What a gossip your husband is, my Sally, 
but I promised to write my beautiful tyrant 
every day, everything I said or did or that 
anyone else said or did, and I have, haven't I? 
Forever and ever and ever 

Your Soldier. 

Richmond, Jan. 2$, 1S65. . 



166 



XXXVI 

In the Dark Days Before the End 

THIS morning at breakfast, my darling 
Sally, when you suggested having an 
oyster roast for my officers after our confer- 
ence to-night, I said that I feared we should 
not have enough oysters. Our old hunter, 
Gossett, has just brought in a fine large wild 
turkey, and with that and the three bushels of 
oysters which your uncle sent I think we can 
get up a fine supper. Don't you, my marvel 
of a housekeeper? I hope you can, and hope, 
too, that the good cheer it will provide will 
help us to new and encouraging suggestions, 
for, as hopeful as I always am, even my heart 
is in my boots. 

On every side gloom, dissatisfaction and 
disappointment seem to have settled over all, 
men and officers alike, because of the unsuc- 
cessful termination of the Peace Conference 
on board the River Queen on the fatal third. 
167 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

The anxious, despairing faces I see every- 
where bespeak heavy hearts. Our commis- 
sioners knew that we were gasping our last 
gasp and that the Peace Conference was a for- 
lorn hope. Because of the informality of the 
conference and my knowledge of Mr. Lincoln, 
his humanity, his broad nature, his warm 
heart, I did believe he would take advantage 
of this very informality and spring some wise, 
superhuman surprise vvhich would, somehow, 
restore peace and in time insure unity. Now, 
heaven help us, it will be war to the knife, 
with a knife no longer keen, the thrust of an 
arm no longer strong, the certainty that when 
peace comes it will follow the tread of the 
conqueror. 

I fear that you may need more help ; so am 
sending over Bob. The mess-cook will come 
later. 

Meantime, a Dios, and love, 

Your Soldier. 

Headquarters, January 28, 1865. 



168 



XXXVII 

Written in Defeat, After the Battle of Five 
Forks 

IT is long past the midnight hour and, like 
a boy, I have been reading over your dear, 
cheery letter, caressing the written page be- 
cause it has been touched by your hand. 

All is quiet now, but soon all will be bustle, 
for we march at daylight. Oh, my darling, 
were there ever such men as those of my divi- 
sion? This morning after the review I thanked 
them for their valiant services yesterday on the 
first of April, never to be forgotten by any of 
us, when, to my mind, they fought one of the 
most desperate battles of the whole war. 
Their answer to me was cheer after cheer, one 
after another calling out, "That's all right, 
Marse George, we only followed you." Then 
in the midst of these calls and silencing them, 
rose loud and clear dear old Gentry's voice, 
singing the old hymn which they all knew I 
loved : 
169 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

"Guide me, oh, thou great Jehovah, 
Pilgrim through this barren land." 

Voice after voice joined in till from all 
along the line the plea rang forth: 

"Be my sword and shield and banner, 
Be the Lord my righteousness." 

I don't think, my Sally, the tears sounded 
in my voice as it mingled with theirs ; but they 
were in my eyes and there was something new 
in my heart. 

When the last line had been sung, I gave 
the order to march, proceeding to this point 
where I had expected to cross the Appomattox 
and rejoin the main army. While we were 
at a halt here orders came from General R. H. 
Anderson to report to him at Sutherland's 
Tavern. 

Just after mailing my letter to you at Five 
Forks, telling you of our long, conrinuous 
march of eighteen hours and of the strenuous 
hours following those, where I had, because of 
exigent circumstances, been induced to fall 
back at daylight, I received a dispatch from 
the great Tyee telling me to "hold Five 
Forks at all hazards to prevent the enemy 

170 




You must lia-ve been up all 
ni^Iit, my Prettice, to have made 
up and sent out such a basket 
of noodiei and baked and but- 
tered such a lot of biscuit and 
made so many juf^s of coffee. 
My. I tell you, it all tasted 
good! — Page 12^ 




THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

from striking the south side railroad." This 
dispatch was in reply to one I had sent to him 
reporting the state of affairs and that the 
enemy were trying to get in between the army 
and my command, and asking that diversion 
be made at once or I should be isolated. 

I had had all trains parked in the rear of 
Hatcher's Run and much preferred that posi- 
tion, but, from the General's dispatch, sup- 
posed that he intended sending reenforcements. 
I immediately formed line of battle upon the 
White Oak Road and set my men to throw- 
ing up temporary breastworks. Pine trees 
were felled, a ditch dug and the earth thrown 
up behind the logs. The men, God bless 
them, though weary and hungry, sang as they 
felled and dug. Three times in the three 
hours their labors were suspended because of 
attack from the front; but they as cheerily re- 
turned to their digging and to their "Annie 
Laurie" and "Dixie" as if they were banking 
roses for a festival. 

Five Forks is situated in a flat, thickly 
wooded country and is simply a crossing at 
right angles of two country roads and a de- 
flection of a third bisecting one of these an- 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

gles. Our line of battle, short as four small 
brigades front must be, could readily be 
turned on either flank by a larger attacking 
force. Do you understand, my dear? If not, 
you will some day, and you can keep this letter 
and show it to someone who will understand. 
Well, I made the best arrangements of 
which the nature of the ground admitted, 
placing W. H. F. Lee's Cavalry on the right. 
Ransom's and Wallace's Brigades, acting as 
one and numbering about nine hundred, on 
the left; then Corse, Terry and Stuart, num- 
bering about three thousand. Six rifled pieces 
of artillery were placed at wide intervals. 
Fitz Lee's Cavalry was ordered to take posi- 
tion on the left flank. About two o'clock in 
the afternoon Sheridan made a heavy demon- 
stration with his cavalry, threatening also the 
right flank. Meantime Warren's Corps 
swept around the left flank and rear of the 
infantry line, attacking Ransom and Stuart be- 
hind their breastworks. Ransom sent word 
that the cavalry was not in position, and Fitz 
Lee was again ordered to cover the ground 
at once. I supposed it had been done, when 
suddenly the enemy in heavy infantry column 

IT2 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

appeared on our left and the attack became 
general. Ransom's horse was killed, falling 
with his rider under him. His Assistant Ad- 
jutant, General Gee, was killed. My dear, 
brave old friend, Willie Pegram was mor- 
tally wounded, falling within a few yards of 
me just after we had exchanged "Kla-how- 
ya, Tik-egh" (how are you, love to you) "and 
good luck." The captain of his — Pegram's 
— battery was killed. 

I succeeded in getting a sergeant and 
enough men to man one piece; but after firing 
eight rounds the axle broke. Floweree's regi- 
ment fought hand to hand after all their car- 
tridges had been used. The small cavalry 
force which had gotten into place gave way, 
and the enemy poured in on Wallace's left. 
Charge after charge was made and repulsed, 
and division after division of the enemy ad- 
vanced upon us. Our left was turned; we 
were completely entrapped. Their cavalry, 
charging at a signal of musketry from the in- 
fantry, enveloped us front and right and, 
sweeping down upon our rear, held us as in 
a vise. 

"Take this, Marse George," said one of my 
173 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

boys earlier in the action, hastily thrusting a 
battle-flag into my hand. I took the flag, 
stained with his blood, sacred to the cause for 
which he fell, and, cheering as I waved it, 
called on my men to get into line to meet the 
next charge. Seeing this, a part of the famous 
old Glee Club, our dear old Gentry leading, 
began singing, ''Rally round the flag, boys; 
rally once again." I rode straight up to 
where they were and joined in singing, "Rally 
Once Again," as I waved the blood-stained 
flag. And, my darling, overpowered, de- 
feated, cut to pieces, starving, captured, as we 
were, those that were left of us formed front 
and north and south and met with sullen des- 
peration their double onset. With the mem- 
bers of my own staff and the general officers 
and their stafif officers we compelled a rally 
and stand of Corse's Brigade and W. H. F. 
Lee's Cavalry, who made one of the most bril- 
liant cavalry fights of the war, enabling many 
of us to escape capture. Our loss in killed and 
wounded was heavy, and yet, my darling, with 
all the odds against us we might possibly have 
held out till night, which was fast approach- 
ing, but that our ammunition was exhausted. 

J74 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

We yielded to an overwhelming force, Sher- 
idan's Cavalry alone numbering more than 
double my whole command, with Warren's 
Infantry Corps to back them. 

Ah, my Sally, the triumphs of might are 
transient; but the sufferings and crucifixions 
for the right can never be forgotten. The 
sorrow and song of my glory-crowned division 
nears its doxology. May God pity those who 
wait at home for the soldier who has reported 
to the Great Commander! God pity them as 
the days go by and the sad nights follow. 

The birds were hushed in the woods when 
I started to write, and now one calls to its 
mate "Cheer up — cheer up." Let's listen and 
obey the birds, my darling. Let's try to cheer 
up — cheer up. I remember that Milton said : 
"Those who best bear His mild yoke, they 
serve Him best." Let's bear and serve Him 
best, my darling wife. 

Faithfully your 

Soldier. 

Exeter Mills, April 2, 1865. 



175 



XXXVIII 

Three Hours Before Lee's Surrender at 
Appomattox 

TO-MORROW, my darling, may see our 
flag furled forever. Jackerie, our 
faithful old mail-carrier, sobs behind me as 
I write. He bears to-night this — his last — 
message from me as "Our Cupid." First he 
is commissioned with three orders, which I 
know you will obey as fearlessly as the bravest 
of your brother soldiers. Keep up a stout 
heart. Believe that I shall come back to you 
and know that God reigns. After to-night 
you will be my whole command — staff, field 
officers, men — all. The second commission is 
only given as a precaution — lest I should not 
return or lest for some time I should not be 
with you. 

Lee's surrender is imminent. It is finished. 
Through the suggestion of their commanding 
officers as many of the men as desire are per- 

176 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

mitted to cut through and join Johnston's 
army. The cloud of despair settled over all 
on the third, when the tidings came to us of 
the evacuation of Richmond and its partial 
loss by fire. The homes and families of many 
of my men were there, and all knew too well 
that with the fall of our Capital the last hope 
of success was over. And yet, my beloved, 
these men as resolutely obeyed the orders of 
their commanding officers as if we had cap- 
tured and burned the Federal Capital. 

The horrors of the march from Five Forks 
to Amelia Court House and thence to Sailor's 
Creek beggars all description. For forty- 
eight hours the man or officer who had a hand- 
ful of parched corn in his pocket was most 
fortunate. We reached Sailor's Creek on the 
morning of the sixth, weary, starving, despair- 
ing. 

Sheridan was in our front, delaying us with 
his cavalry (as was his custom) until the in- 
fantry should come up. Mahone was on our 
right, Ewell on our left. Mahone was or- 
dered to move on, and we were ordered to 
stand still. The movement of Mahone left a 
gap which increased as he went on. Huger's 
117 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

battalion of artillery, in attempting to cross 
the gap, was being swept away when I pushed 
on with two of my brigades across Sailor's 
Creek. 

We formed line of battle across an open 
field, holding it against repeated charges of 
Sheridan's dismounted cavalry. At about 
three o'clock the infantry which Sheridan had 
been looking for came up, completely hem- 
ming us in. Anderson ordered me to draw off 
my brigades to the rear and to cut our way 
out in any possible manner that we could. 
Wise's Brigade was deployed in the rear to 
assist us, but was charged upon on all sides 
by the enemy and, though fighting manfully 
to the last, was forced to yield. Two of my 
brigadiers, Corse and Hunton,* were taken 
prisoners. The other two barely escaped, and 
my life, by some miracle, was spared. And 
by another miracle, greater still, I escaped 
capture. A squadron of the enemy's cavalry 
was riding down upon us, two of my staff and 
myself, when a small squad of my men recog- 
nized me and, risking their own lives, rallied 
to our assistance and suddenly delivered a last 
volley into the faces of the pursuing horse- 

178 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

men, checking them but for a moment. But 
in that one moment we, by the speed of our 
horses, made our escape. Ah, my darling, the 
sacrifice of this little band of men is like unto 
that which was made at Calvary. 

It is finished! Ah, my beloved division! 
Thousands of them have gone to their eternal 
home, having given up their lives for the cause 
they knew to be just. The others, alas, heart- 
broken, crushed in spirit, are left to mourn its 
loss. Well, it is practically all over now. 
We have poured out our blood and suffered 
untold hardships and privations all in vain. 
And now, well, / must not forget, either, that 
God reigns. Life is given us for the perform- 
ance of duty, and duty performed is happi- 
ness. 

It is finished — the suffering, the horrors, the 
anguish of these last hours of struggle. The 
glorious gift of your love will help me to bear 
the memory of them. In this midnight hour 
I feel the caressing blessing of your pure 
spirit as it mingles with mine. Peace is born. 
From now forever only 

Your Soldier. 

Appomattox, Aprilj, i86S' 
179 



A FTER the ivar had passed, and luith 
-^^ It the necessity for separation from 
his dear one, the General's letters greiu 
less frequent. He ivas seldom far from 
her side. A year they spent together in 
Canada during the exile nvhich luas en- 
forced upon many of the leaders of the 
Lost Cause. Then, lohen the ban ivas 
finally lifted, the General returned ivith 
his pretty civife to face the problem that 
pressed heamly upon all Southerners— 
the disheartening task of rearing a new 
home on the ruins of the old. Their at- 
tempt -was not altogether successful, but 
amid the surroundings of peace they found 
time to work out in practical form the 
dream of happiness which had come to 
them in darker days. 

The letters in this part are written on 
occasional absences. They cover a period 
of ten years or more, extending almost to 
the time of the General's death, and to 
the end they breathe in every line his 
loyalty and devotion to the noble woman 
whose love had crowned his life. 



XXXIX 

In Which the General Tells of a Trip to 

Washington and a Visit With His 

Old Friend, Grant 

SUCKLEY^ and I arrived safely after an 
interesting but, to me, sad trip, because 
of the many sorrowful memories that it 
brought back. Ingalls,^ bless his old loyal 
heart, met us at the train and took us up in the 
Quartermaster's carriage. It is the first time 
that I have ridden in one of Uncle Sam's 
vehicles since I changed colors and donned 
the gray, and now I ride, not as an owner but 
as a guest! Again, my darling, there came to 
me memories of the ''has been" and "might 
have been." 

"Well, George," said Rufus, "this looks 
kind of natural, doesn't it, old man?" but be- 
fore I could reply, intuitively sensing what I 

1 Grant's surgeon. 

2 Grant's quartermaster. 

1S3 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

was feeling, he continued hurriedly "and this 
rig is at your service all the time you are 
here." 

The three of us had dinner together. 
Pitcher,^ whom you've heard me speak of as 
*'01d Jug," came over from his table and 
joined us at dessert. After dinner all four of 
us w^ent to the theater to hear Billy Florence. 
We sent a line in to him from our box and 
w^hen he came out he strode across the stage 
and, looking directly at us, said in his most 
tragic tone and manner: "The Lamb and the 
Lion shall lie down together," and then went 
on with his part. He knew and we knew, 
but the audience didn't. He played to us, too, 
all evening and never played better. After 
the play we went behind the scenes and had a 
charming visit with Mrs. Florence, who gra- 
ciously gave her consent to Billy's going out 
to supper with us. 

"And, by the way. General Pickett," said 
Mrs. Florence, "how is that beautiful Mrs. 
Edwards * with whom I saw you in Montreal 
and with whom you were so much in love and 

s General T. Pitcher, U. S. A. 

■* Edwards was the assumed name of General Pickett and his 
wife during their exile in Canada. 

184 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

who, come to think of it, won all our hearts? 
Poor Ellen Tree was talking about her the 
last time I saw her, — And how is that laugh- 
ing, bright-eyed baby who made a drum of 
himself and a prancing steed of everybody 
else's cane? I can see him now, with his mass 
of ringlets and his sparkling, laughing eyes. 
He had just learned to walk and yet was 
charging the enemy on his fiery steed, beating 
an imaginary drum and blowing an imaginary 
fife. It was the funniest thing I ever saw." 

I told Mrs. Florence that we had returned 
to the States, that little George could ride a 
real horse now and beat a real drum, and that 
I was just as much as ever in love with Mrs. 
Edwards, who had become so attached to her 
assumed name that she hated to give it up and 
insisted that we should now and then call each 
other ''Mr. and Mrs. Edwards," to keep in 
memory the sweet, all-belonging life we spent 
with each other in Canada. 

We had a fine steamed-oyster supper at 
Harvey's and told stories and talked of old 
times till after two o'clock. 

I got up this morning just in time to go to 
twelve o'clock breakfast at the Club with 
i8s 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

Ruf us. After breakfast we went, as arranged, 
to see Grant. I just can't tell you, my darling, 
about that visit. You'll have to wait till I 
see you to tell you how the warm-hearted mod- 
est old warrior and loyal old friend met me 
— how he took in his the hand of your heart- 
sore soldier — poor, broken, defeated — profes- 
sion gone — and looking at him for a moment 
without speaking, said slowly: "Pickett, if 
there is anything on the top of God's green 
earth that I can do for you, say so." Just then 
his orderly apologetically brought in a card to 

him. "Tell Sheridan to go to !" "Yis, 

surh, I'll till him, surh." "And go there your- 
self !" "Yis, surh, I'll go, surh." Ruf us, who 
was whistling over at the window, reiterated 
Grant's order, receiving from the orderly the 
same assurance, "Yis, surh, I'll till him, surh." 
While Sheridan was obeying Grant's order 
and going to his new station we three sat down 
and had a heart-to-heart conference. One lis- 
tening would never have known that we had 
been on opposite sides of any question. 

When I started to go Grant pulled down a 
cheque-book and said, "Pickett, it seems funny, 
doesn't it, that I should have any money to 

i86 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

offer, but how much do you need?" "Not 
any, old fellow, not a cent, thank you," I said. 
"I have plenty." "But Rufus tells me that 
you have begun to build a house to take the 
place of the one old Butler burned and how 
can you build it without money; you do need 
some." "I have sold some timber to pay for 
it," I told him, and to show my appreciation 
and gratitude unobserved I affectionately 
squeezed his leg, when he called out, "Rufus, 
it's the same old George Pickett; instead of 
pulling my leg he's squeezing it." 

Grant is going to take Rufus, Suckley and 
myself to ride this afternoon to show me the 
changes since I was last here, years ago. 

To-morrow, if all goes well, I'll start back 
to what is worth more to me than all I've lost 
— my precious wife, who was as queenly and 
gracious and glorious as Mrs. Edwards in one 
room in a boarding house In exile as she was 
in Petersburg in a palatial home when her 
husband was the Department Commander and 
she had not only "vassals and slaves at her 
side," but the General Commanding and all 
his soldiers and our world at her feet. 

Your Devoted Soldier. 
1S7 



XL 

From New York After Refusing the Com- 
mand of the Egyptian Army 

SO, you would "leave it all to my better 
judgment," most wise Little One, and 
would not advise me, but after I had decided 
fully I was to read the mysterious sealed note 
— "not to be opened till after you have de- 
cided." 

At the banquet last night I opened and read 
the letter and then passed it over to General 
E. P. Alexander, General Ingalls and Doctor 
Suckley. They all shook their heads disap- 
provingly. I pointed to the instructions, 
"Not to be opened till after you have de- 
cided," and said that I had already decided 
and the note only showed that we are "two 
souls with but a single thought." 

Now, don't you know, my darling, that I 
knew your opinion before just as well as after 
I had read your sealed letter? Of course I 
knew that you did not want me to go and that, 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

as you prettily put it, "We've had glory 
enough, and war enough, with its hardships 
and separations and dangers, and now we just 
want each other forever and forevermore." 
Yes, my darling, we want each other and a 
home, with a spiked fence around it and a key; 
to the road gate, for us alone, — just us, for- 
ever and forevermore. 

My friends all think that I am making a 
great mistake in refusing this magnanimous 
offer of the Khedive. They hold that I am 
sacrificing my future and signing the death- 
warrant to ambition and success. General 
Alexander has accepted and will take com- 
mand of the Egyptian armies ; Egypt could not 
have a finer officer. Last night at the farewell 
dinner the Khedive's last telegram was handed 
to the Commissioner — "Forward Pickett at 
any cost." It was a most flattering compli- 
ment and I have asked permission to keep it 
for our boy. "The boy might think you were 
a brand of powder or a keg of nails," said 
Ingalls, who, by the way, is disgusted at my 
refusal. But, my beautiful wife, he has not 
you; and love such as yours is worth all the 
gold and glory of the universe. 
189 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

To-morrow I shall take the steamer for 
home without one regret for having decided 
as I have, — just you and I — just ourselves 
"forever and forever" — 

Your Soldier. 



igo 



XLI 

A Letter From Turkey Island,^ During a 
Short Absence of His Wife 

IT Is Thursday and the cottage is so empty — 
so desolate without my darling. Even 
Rufus feels the absence of its beautiful mis- 
tress and a few minutes ago, to show his sym- 
pathy for his lonesome master, brought and 
laid on my knee a little slipper which, if I 
did not know it belonged, to my own fairy 
princess, would make me think that another 
Cinderella with a tinier foot had also forgot- 
ten the midnight hour. I gave no evidence 
of my appreciation of his effort to comfort me 
and Rufus trotted off and brought me the 
other slipper. "Good dog," I said, "good 
dog," patting him on the head. Then fon- 
dling the little slippers and putting them be- 

1 The old ancestral home called by the Federal soldiers Tur- 
key Bend, is in Henrico Co., which is one of the original shires 
into which Virginia was divided in 1634. 
191 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

side me I took up my pencil and pad to tell 
you all about it. 

Presently, looking around, I saw Rufus 
planning to bring me everything in the room 
belonging to you. He has a lot of dog sense 
and I tried to make him understand that the 
slippers had been sufficiently effective in con- 
soling me, but he would not be convinced until 
I whistled our song, "Believe me, if all those 
endearing young charms." Then trying to 
howl an accompaniment and failing, he 
wagged his tail, lay down at my feet and went 
to sleep. 

Every day when I come in to dinner he 
trots up in front of your picture and barks 
till I take it down, then looking down at it 
barks again, while I encourage him, saying, 
"Tell her all about it, old man; tell her all 
about it." When he has told you about it he 
lies down beside it, his paw on the frame, 
wagging his tail and looking up at me till he 
thinks I have shown sufficient appreciation of 
his admiration and devotion to you, and then 
he jumps up and points and barks at the place 
on the rack from which it was taken until it is 
duly kissed and replaced. Oh, he's a great 

ig2 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

dog, little one, and great company for me, 
but both he and I and everything else are lone- 
some for you and we have promised our souls 
that when you come back we will vie with 
each other in our efforts to make you happy. 

Already the hens have commenced laying 
again, the butter is piling up to be made into 
cakes and good things. Your new little calf 
is a beauty, but I shall send him ofif and sell 
him before you get back, for you would never 
allow him to be separated from his mother and 
would let him go on extracting her milk till he 
was a man — you great tender-hearted darling! 
The corn and wheat are beautiful, the vege- 
tables fine and the flowers we planted all 
breathe of your purity and sweetness. The 
cutting from the Poe rosebush which Mrs. 
Allen gave us is full of buds ; so you see every- 
thing above the ground and in the ground at 
our Turkey Island home is waiting for your 
blessing. 

This morning I took my gun and Rufus and 
killed five partridges and two rabbits. I gave 
one rabbit to Mr. Sims and one to Uncle Tom. 
The birds I sent to Lizzie. As I was coming 
on home I stopped and rested in the cool and 
193 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

calm of the forest beside the old gray broken 
monument where we have so often made love 
and told each other fairy tales and wandered 
about and made thought pictures of our Wil- 
liam and Mary Randolph, who erected it away 
back in 1771. I wonder, little one, if from 
their celestial home they can see the pictur- 
esque beauty which I see and which I wish I 
could put into words. Do you remember the 
inscription on one of the sides of the monu- 
ment? — "The foundation of this pillar was 
laid in 1771, when all the great rivers of this 
country were swept by inundations never be- 
fore experienced, which changed the face of 
nature and left traces of their violence that 
will remain for ages!" As I read over this 
inscription I feel sorry that the thought to erect 
a monument to commemorate any kind of dis- 
aster should ever have been born. Time's 
soothing wings bless always, and not only have 
the ravages of the flood which this monument 
was erected to commemorate been long ago 
forgotten, but the memories of ravages and 
horrors of a yesterday far, far more terrible 
are, thank God, being effaced. 

J94 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

The birds are nesting and songs are being 
born just where Butler's vandals mutilated and 
broke off the top of this monument, hunting 
for hidden treasure. Some of the seeds which 
the mother birds carried to their young have 
fallen by the wayside and taken root and now 
out of the jagged, broken top grow a greenery 
of unknown vines and plants and flowers. 
The old colonial home of my forefathers, with 
its rare old mahoganies and paintings, which 
Butler sacked and desecrated and then 
burned, has been replaced by a sweet little 
cottage home built by ourselves, all our very 
own, and consecrated to love and contentment, 
with furnishings so simple and plain that we 
are not afraid of using them. 

No, my sweetheart, we don't want any 
monuments to mark any of the woes and hor- 
rors of the past. We must build one of hope 
and faith and peace and mercy and joy, the 
foundation of which is already laid in our 
hearts. 

Listen — I hear old Sims' step on the porch. 
I hear him knocking his pipe against the pil- 
lars — so, a Dios. He will tell me the same 
195 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

old stories over again and I shall listen and 
laugh as though I heard them for the first 
time — dear old Sims. 

Good night — sweet dreams. Angels guard 
you while I hear of Lafayette and Nelson and 
Marshall, through the clouds of old Sims' 
tobacco smoke for the hundredth, yes, thou- 
sandth time. 

Your lonesome 

Soldier. 



196 



XLII 

Concerning a Slight Illness and the Business 
Troubles of a Soldier 

YOU are always right, my darling Sally, 
and your husband is only right when he 
is guided by you. Pretty generally he listens 
to his oracle and when he doesn't he wishes to 
the Lord he had. The morning I left, when 
you urged that I wear the suit I had been 
wearing and I claimed that I hadn't time to 
change — "Then please take it with you and 
change on the boat," you plead. Well, dear- 
est, I was mean. I wouldn't and I didn't and 
your obstinate soldier was not out of sight of 
the sweet lone figure standing on the wharf 
waving to him the love signals and the God- 
speed of our code before he was abusing him- 
self as an ingrate in refusing anything that 
the sweetest, most beautiful woman and the 
best wife in the world could ask of him — 
"Well, dem dat dances is 'bleeged ter pay de 
J97 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

fiddler," and your husband is paying — he is 
being punished, for he caught cold on the 
boat, had a chill, followed by sore throat and 
pain in limbs and back. 

I stopped only a day in Petersburg to see 
our agent there, then came over here, went 
to the Exchange and went directly to bed and 
sent for Dr. Beal. He has been very atten- 
tive, coming twice a day. Julia and Wash 
took me in charge at once and, as usual, are 
as good as gold, and so is everyone, as to that, 
but each and all in turn prescribe a sure 
remedy and urge my taking it. Wash in- 
sists upon rubbing me with "turkentime en den 
puttin' on a hot ingun poultice, en 'pon top er 
dat drinkin' a good hot scotch," declaring 
"dey'U sho' en mingulate up wid one-an- 
nudder en do de business en bre'k up dis 
'fluenza dat's got 'session er you, Marse 
George. Don't you go projickin' wid doc- 
tor's medicines; pills is dang'us en dey ain't 
gwine ter oust no 'fluenzas, dey jes' gwine ter 
upset en sturbulate de balance er yo' body dat 
ain' got de 'fluenza in it en mek dat part sick, 
too. Ef Miss Sally wuz here she'd say, 
'Wash, you suttinly is right — g'long fetch up 

198 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

a nice hot scotch en git one fer yo'se'f while 
youse down dar gittin' yo Marse George's. 
Lord, I knows Miss Sally." 

That settled it and I compromised on the 
hot scotch — but I was firm and would not 
yield to Julia's entreaties to be permitted to 
bring me Mrs. Marshall's flannel petticoat to 
wrap around my throat. "What would the 
judge say?" I asked. "De Jedge, Marse 
George? — De Jedge ain' 'bleeged ter know 
nuttin' 't all bout it. Needer him ner needer 
Miss Sally, nuther. Dem whar's robbed, en 
don' know dey's robbed, ain' robbed, Marse 
George, en ain' no wusser off ef dey had dan ef 
dey hadn't," she argued — but I was adamant; 
her arguments were of no avail. She 
**curchied" her thanks for the silver piece I 
gave her and left me with the compliment that 
I "sho' was one bridegroom-husband — alius 
honeymoonin' wid my own queen bee, wedder 
wid her er widout her, en dat Miss Sally ought 
ter be one proud white lady" — Is she? — bless 
her! 

Yesterday when I wrote I did not tell you 
how sick I had been or was, nor how lonesome, 
nor how I longed for your soothing, gentle 
199 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

touch, your ministering care. I should only 
have made you anxious. You could not have 
come to me. Oh, my sweetheart, I think of 
you all the time, and I swear every time I 
leave you, that I'll never leave you again, that 
if business calls I must take my darling with 
me. If I could only lay the treasures of the 
universe at your tiny little feet. 

But this business, I'm afraid, will not earn 
my cough drops or your violets and, oh dar- 
ling, it is such a crucifixion. You don't know 
how abhorrent it is to me. I spur myself on 
all the time with this thought, that it is for 
my darling. The day I came up on the boat, 
I took out two policies, one for $7,000 and one 
for $10,000. The men were both old soldiers 
belonging to my dear old division and one 
of them said they had to run me down and 
almost tie me to make me insure their lives. 
You know, dear, I can't do it. I'd sooner 
face a cannon than ask a man to take out a 
policy with me. Your soldier is nothing but 
a soldier; the war is over and he is no more 
account. The company tells me that my 
agents must do the soliciting, but I'll feel 

200 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

like a thief to take a commission on what they 
have worked for and earned. 

Yesterday when I came through Petersburg 
I went, as I told you, to our office. J. B. B., 
our company's agent, was sitting with his 
chair tilted back — foot on the table, smoking 
a bad smelling pipe and reading *'Macaria." 
"Hello, General, hello," he said, not rising. 
"Sent in six policies this week, old man." 
"On your familiarity or courtly manners — 
which?" "Neither, old man, on gall, gall, 
old man, gall and grub. Come, have a drink 
— ever read ^Macaria'?" With the most 
studied politeness and coldness I declined his 
offer and in my most dignified manner asked 
permission to look over the company's books. 
"Come, what's eating you, old man?" he 
asked, bringing his chair down with a bang 
and slapping me on the back. Then he pro- 
fanely informed me that I'd have to unbuckle 
a few holes and thaw out if I wanted to paint 
the monkey's tail sky-blue. 

Alas, little one, I am afraid your Soldier 
isn't much of an artist. He longs to give his 
precious wife all the luxuries and comforts 

201 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

and everything that is beautiful — but he can't 
thaw out, my darling, and he can't paint that 
monkey's tail sky-blue, and, sweetheart, it 
makes me crawl and creep to be associated 
with artists who can. I was wondering as I 
came over whether it would be better to send 
our boy to West Point or get him a paint- 
brush. We have time to decide that, how- 
ever, for he is just a little over eleven. 

Here comes the Colonel and "old Mistiss," 
and by the way, everybody sends love and 
messages to you and our boy. 

Now, my own beautiful wife, don't be anx- 
ious about me, and forgive this long, rambling 
letter. 

It's snowing hard — I mean, easy. The 
snow is "beautiful" but I'm so homesick for 
you. 

Your loving, good-for-nothing 

Soldier. 



202 



xLiir 

On the Occasion of the Memorial Services in 
Honor of Those who died at Gettysburg 

ALL the way to the station, my darling, I 
was asking myself whether I was right 
in yielding to your solicitations and leaving 
our sick child, with all the resulting care 
and responsibility resting on your ever-brave 
shoulders. And once, sweetheart, after think- 
ing very seriously over it I was almost tempted 
to turn and go back, when the appealing words 
of your voice echoed through my soul. "Even 
if I knew our child would die while you were 
gone, I would not have you neglect this call 
to honor your boys whom you led to their 
death." And, instead of turning back I said: 
^'Drive faster, please, John David; I wouldn't 
miss my train for anything. "^ — You blessed 
little sermon ! 

I made the train in plenty of time and your 
mother, to whom I had telegraphed at Ivor, 
203 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

came to the station, bringing the good tidings 
that your brother was out of danger. I did 
not tell her that our little George was ill, 
lest it might make her anxious, and I knew 
that her duty was beside her sick boy, your 
brother. 

I would have been so thankful if you, my 
sweet, beautiful bride, and our precious little 
*'war-baby" could have come with me. 
Everybody asks about you and the boy and 
sends love and expresses sorrow that you could 
not come. A delegation of my old soldiers 
met me at the station and, though some of our 
relatives had prepared to have us with them, 
I agreed to the arrangement of the Committee 
and the demand of the Governor and was 
taken to the Executive Mansion as the guest 
of the State. 

All the evening and the next morning until 
it was time to form, old comrades came in, in 
groups and single file. They told of their ex- 
periences, officers and privates alike, discussed 
the Pennsylvania campaign and the three days' 
fight, their voices falling to a whisper as they 
spoke of those whose memory we had come to 
honor — our gallant dead at Gettysburg — our 

204 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

brave boys who gave "their last full measure 
of devotion" to duty. 

I had been made Chief Marshal — a sad, 
solemn, sacred office for me — of all the Army. 
Such love, such reverence was Christ-born. 
You cannot conceive of it. From the old 
Market to the Cemetery of Hollywood the 
streets, sidewalks, windows and housetops were 
crowded. There must have been twelve thou- 
sand people at Hollywood. Such a demon- 
stration of devotion and sympathy was, I 
think, never before witnessed on earth. 
Think of it, my darling, so penetrating, so uni- 
versal a oneness of love and respect and rever- 
ence existed that there was a stillness, an awe- 
someness, save for those necessary sounds — the 
clanking of swords, the tramp of horses and 
the martial tread of men keeping time with 
funeral marches — the solemn requiem. No 
cheers, no applause, only loving greetings from 
tear-stained faces, heads bent in reverence, 
clasped hands held out to us as we passed 
along. As I saw once more the courage-lit 
faces of my brave Virginians, again I heard 
their cry — "We'll follow you, Marse George!" 
From their eternal silence those who marched 
205 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

heroically to death looked down upon us yes- 
terday and were sad. My darling, you can- 
not know — no, you cannot know! 

As I clasped the hand of one after another 
of those who crowded around me I was 
greeted with the words — "My husband was 
killed at Gettysburg." "My son is lying 
there among the dead" — "My brother was 
with you there and he has just come back to 
me" — so many crushed hearts filling my heart 
with grief. Oh, my Sally, if the cry of my 
soul had been voiced it would have been the 
echo of that at Gethsemane. 

After the services General Joseph R. An- 
derson had a number of us old fellows come 
to his house and as we stood around his 
sumptuous board the solemnity of the scene 
was almost like that of the Lord's Supper. 
Though we were old soldiers, neither the 
march nor the battle was mentioned. The 
only war-time reference was that some of my 
men called me by the old war-time title, 
*'Marse George." Among the guests were 
some of our West Point comrades whose only 
vocation, like mine, was war. Our tents are 
folded now and we parted, going off, each to 

206 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

his work ; one to the farm, another to the trade ; 
one to seek some position; one to one place, 
one to another; and I to return to my beautiful 
wife and my sick baby, my only joy and my 
life, knowing that what is best will come. 

Your Loving Soldier. 



207 



XLIV 

Written while Away from Home after the 
Death of his Youngest Boy 

POOR broken lily, I hated so to leave you. 
The haunted look on your sweet, tired 
face haunts my heart and I was almost tempted 
to disobey the company's orders and not go. 
The doctor said you were not strong enough 
to come with your Soldier, that you were all 
run down by your long watch, sleepless nights 
and nursing, and then the transplanting of the 
precious flower into the Father's garden at last 
— having to give the boy back — was more 
than you could bear. Ah, sweetheart, try to 
be generous, too, and give him to the Heavenly 
Father, being thankful for His having lent 
him to you for so long. Dear, beautiful 
mother of an angel, come, say "Thy will be 
done" and try to recognize the wisdom of our 
Lord. See, my lily, how well your Soldier 
has learned his lesson. It was you who taught 

208 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

him to believe — to look up and trust. Come, 
now — take your spelling book and let him 
teach you the Word. 

How tenderly, loyally, reverently I do love 
you, my wife, and how I want to spare you 
every hurt. I'll be starting back when you get 
this. Love to our boy and tell him to look 
after his "dear mother" for his "dear father," 
that he is our little man and has got double 
duty to do from now on. Ask him to think 
about what he wants for his birthday. Any- 
thing but a gun he can have. 

Think, my darling, nearly eleven years of 
perfect bliss — such happiness as man never 
had. God show me how to be worthy of such 
a wife. 

The horses are at the door, my little one — 
I must say a Dios. 

Lovingly and forever and ever, 

Your Soldier. 



THE END 



209 



PICKETT'S CHARGE AT GETTYSBURG 

[Editorial Note] 

PICKETT'S charge was the culminating point in the 
three days' struggle at Gettysburg. Directed 
against a force strongly entrenched and superior in 
numbers it failed ; but in failing it made immortal the fame 
of all those who took part in it. 

For two days and a half the battle had raged between 
the armies of Lee and Meade, the advantage being with 
neither side, when at one o'clock in the afternoon of the 
third day Lee massed his forces on Seminary Ridge and 
prepared for a final assault upon the Union position. 
The attack was begun with a tremendous artillery duel 
which shook the surrounding hills. It lasted two hours. 
The Federal guns then ceased their fire, and Lee ordered 
the advance of the attacking columns. 

This force consisted of Pickett's and Pettigrew's divi- 
sions, the brunt of the assault falling upon Pickett. At 
the order, the columns moved forward as on dress parade, 
their ranks unbroken, their arms glistening in the July 
sun. As they advanced, however, the Union artillery 
which had appeared to be silenced opened upon them with 
shot and shell, tearing great holes in the lines, and as 
they came nearer the men were met with a rain of canis- 
ter and shrapnel. In the face of this terrific fire they did 

211 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

not falter. It was not until they came within striking 
distance of the Union line, when a flame of musketry burst 
forth before which nothing could live, that their ranks 
broke and, although a handful of men led by Armistead 
crossed the Union works, the remainder of the glory- 
crowned division were forced to retire. 

Some idea of the decimating character of this assault 
may be gained from the fact that out of more than 5000 
men in Pickett's division who started on the mile long 
march across the field of death but 1500 returned. In 
the two divisions that made up the attacking column over 
5000 men were lost. Two of Pickett's brigadiers were 
killed, the other wounded ; and but one field officer in 
his command came out of the battle unhurt. In one of 
his letters in this volume the general gives a more de- 
tailed account of the losses among his officers. 

The charge of Pickett and his men has been made the 
basis of much unfavorable criticism, directed chiefly 
against the commanding general of the Southern forces 
and his chief lieutenants at Gettysburg. In this crit- 
icism Pickett has taken no part, although he states re- 
peatedly in the letters to his wife that if promised sup- 
ports had materialized the attack would have been suc- 
cessful. It is generally admitted that the brigades of 
Wilcox and Perry which should have supported Pickett 
were slow in starting and became separated from the main 
attacking body, rendering it no assistance. 

In his first official report to General Lee after the 
battle, Pickett pointed out without reserve the circum- 
stances that were responsible for the disastrous result. 

212 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

Lee, however, requested him to withdraw this report. 
His letter so doing is to be found in War Records (Vol- 
ume 27, Part 3, Page 1075). It reads as follows: 

General George E. Pickett, Commanding, &c. You 
and youT men have crowned themselves with glory; but 
we have the enemy to fight, and must carefully, at this 
critical moment, guard against dissensions which the re- 
flections in your report would create. I will, therefore, 
suggest that you destroy both copy and original, substitu- 
ting one confined to casualties merely. I hope all will 
yet be well. 

I am, with respect, your obedient servant, 

R. E. Lee, General. 

In accordance with Lee's wish, General Pickett with- 
drew and destroyed his report of the engagement. Fur- 
thermore, he looked upon Lee's suggestion as a command 
that was binding upon him for all time and he has never 
divulged the contents of this report, except in the letter 
to his wife (written before Lee's request was made) 
which appears in this volume on page 97. In view, how- 
ever, of the General's sense of obligation in this matter, 
Mrs. Pickett feels that the details of the battle as re- 
ported therein should be withheld from publication and 
accordingly this section of the letter is omitted, as stated 
in footnote on page lOO. 

General Lee has been criticized for ordering the attack 
on Cemetery Ridge with an inadequate force and under 
conditions that made its failure probable. In explana- 
tion of his action, Lee said in his report (War Records, 
213 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

Volume 27, Part 2, page 321) that his batteries "having 
nearly exhausted their ammunition in the protracted can- 
nonade that preceded the advance of the infantry, were 
unable to reply, or render the necessary support to the 
attacking party. Owing to this fact, which was un- 
known to me when the assault took place, the enemy were 
enabled to throw a strong force of infantry against our 
left, already wavering under a concentrated fire of artil- 
lery from the ridge in front, and from Cemetery Hill on 
the left." 

Elsewhere he describes the formation which took place 
in Pickett's charge, as follows: 

"General Longstreet ordered forward the column of 
attack, consisting of Pickett's and Heth's divisions, in 
two lines, Pickett on the right. Wilcox's brigade marched 
in rear of Pickett's right, to guard that flank, and Heth's 
was supported by Lane's and Scales' brigades, under 
General Trimble." 

General Longstreet has described the charge as seen 
under his own eyes in these words: 

"I dismounted to relieve my horse and was sitting on 
a rail fence watching very closely the movements of the 
troops. . . . Pickett had reached a point near the Federal 
lines. A pause was made to close ranks and mass for the 
final plunge. The troops on Pickett's left, although ad- 
vancing, were evidently a little shaky. I was watching 
the troops supporting Pickett and saw plainly they could 
not hold together ten minutes longer. I called his (Col- 
onel Freemantle's) attention to the wavering condition of 
the two divisions of the Third Corps and said they would 

214 



THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 

not hold, that Pickett would strike and be crushed, and 
the attack would be a failure. As the division threw it- 
self against the Federal line Garnett fell and expired. 
The Confederate flag was planted in the Federal line, 
and immediately Armistead fell mortally wounded at the 
feet of the Federal soldiers. The wavering division then 
seemed appalled, broke their ranks and retired. 

"The only thing Pickett said of his charge was that he 
was distressed at the loss of his command. He thought 
he should have had two of his brigades that had been left 
in Virginia; with them he felt that he would have broken 
the lines." 



215 



APR 12 1913 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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